Beginnings
by kerriclifford240879
Summary: When does a relationship really begin?  When does it really end?  And why does it twist us up inside, until right and wrong are no longer distinguishable?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Beginnings.

Author: Kerri

Beta: Ravyn. An awesome beta - thanks heaps for all of your help, darl.

Characters: Marcus/Katie

Rating: Mature over all.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just using them for my own perverted sense of fun.

Feed back: Sure thing! Feedback is always helpful.

Summary: When does a relationship really begin? When does it really end? And why does it twist us up inside, until right and wrong are no longer distinguishable?

Authors note; this is my first time writing Marcus/Katie, but they are a couple I have always enjoyed reading.

1

Obsession - an idea or feeling that completely occupies the mind. Fascination, fixation and lust are other words that can be used, and all of them applied. Passion – an intense or overpowering emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, anger or strong sexual desire. They all applied too. Love and hate - a fine line between the two, one that can blur and distort. One that did, with no warning, no reason, and no cure.

If you were stupid enough to approach Marcus Flint and ask him when his obsession with Katie Bell began, he'd probably tear your arms off and beat you to death with them. Him - Slytherin Captain and Chaser, obsessed with some skinny arsed Gryff? Moreover, if he didn't tear said arms off, he might've strongly suggested that you have your head examined at St. Mungos post haste - before _he_ examined it _for_ you.

He had a bevy of pure-blood witches to choose from - why would he want some scrawny blonde kid, who was four years younger than he was? Who had a motor mouth full of insults that could maim better than any knife? Besides - she was in _Gryffindor_. And that was one house line he would _never_ cross. He might not have much to say, but he wasn't stupid.

However;

If you were to ask any of his Slytherin team-mates when Marcus first become obsessed with Katie Bell, _they_ could tell you easily. You'd need to hand over some Galleons first, but one didn't get ahead in life, without stepping on people to do so. So picture yourself in a private location and a few Galleons short; the lighting is dim, to protect the identity of the person who tells you the following tale;

Marcus Flint's obsession began, when Gryffindor played Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup during his seventh year. It was when Marcus ducked an out-of-control bludger that careened passed him so quickly, that it caused his ears to pop. And while he might have been lucky if he had been flying the other way, luck wasn't to be on his side, as it veered upwards and hit Katie Bell. The bludger disintegrated her broom and shattered her right knee. It also left her in free fall, thirty feet above the pitch. A loud scream of pain, that was intermingled with fear caused him to look away from the approaching Quaffle and upwards instead, and it is in this very moment, where our story begins.

Marcus had a split second to focus on the slim body that was tangled in a red Quidditch cloak; focus on the fact that the body that was plummeting towards him wasn't some mad Chaser hell-bent on catching the Quaffle before i_he_/i did, before he instinctively caught Katie as she collided with him. The sheer force of the collision knocked Marcus backwards off his own broom. He became entangled within a red cloak, long legs and slim arms; arms, that were surprisingly strong when they tightened around him.

While Madam Hooch's whistle split the cool air like a knife, the students and teachers alike held their breath as the two tangled players plummeted towards the ground. Marcus Flint didn't hear the whistle, nor did he see several players angle their brooms downwards in the mad hope that they could help – no. Marcus Flint was too caught up in the fact that he had an armful of Katie Bell, and that there were several things about her that he hadn't known.

He was fast coming to the uncomfortable realization, that Katie Bell had subtle curves under her baggy Quidditch robes. He could feel them, pressed against the length of his body as he held her tightly. That her eyes, even though filled with terror, were a startling shade of blue. That while in the air on a broom, Katie might be as large as life, but as tightly tangled as they were, he could feel just how petite she really was. And his final thought, was that it was going to hurt like hell when he hit the ground with her. That he might die. That she might. Then it was really too late to think at all.

Marcus hit the ground with a nauseating, bone-snapping thud as bone gave way to the impact and a thin, high-pitched scream was muffled against his throat. Katie went limp against him as he gasped painfully through his teeth, and the world blurred around him as pain darkened the edges of his vision. The metallic, coppery taste of blood – his blood – exploded across his tongue. The scent of it was thick and when he felt the wetness that was sliding across his skin, Marcus knew that it was Katie's he was smelling too.

He couldn't see properly as his breath wheezed painfully past his lips; Katie's hair was strewn across his face, the blonde strands glinting in the weak sunlight as he stared blindly through them. His upper body was wracked in pain, yet his lower body was strangely numb. In the dimness of his mind, he found that all he could focus on was the glint of gold hair and the weak, thready rasp of her breath against his throat. He had time enough to blink once more, before he lost the ability to see at all, and he slid under into blessed darkness where the excruciating pain could no longer touch him.

He never saw his team-mates land and drop their brooms, those prized Fire Bolts landing haphazardly as his name was called loudly. He never saw the Gryffindor team land, and run towards them, with Katie's name being called with growing panic. House lines be damned - both teams came together, waiting with increasing worry as they stared down at them. Both teams spoke in hushed whispers as the Headmaster, Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape ran towards them. Both teams reluctantly backed away, as Madam Pomfrey carefully levitated the two broken bodies and bustled them away towards the medi-wing with the other Professor's. And both teams reluctantly took to the sky again, when Madam Hooch told them to finish the game.

xxxxxxxxx

It was dark when Marcus woke up. The acrid scent of medi-magic was in the air, that thick, cloying smell that tickled the nose and burned the throat as he cautiously worked to open his eyes. The soft rasp of cotton hospital pants and the slight itch of wool blankets tightly tucked around him offered a familiar warmth and comfort; they eased his instinctive need to confirm his location. His body felt like it was floating, no doubt a side effect from the Skele-Gro potions that Madam Pompfrey had poured down his throat in large quantities. His skin tingled with magic and healing warmth, and there was an annoying itch at the base of his spine. The faint glow of candle-light hurt his eyes, causing him to squint as he wondered how long he'd been in the medi-wing, and what the hell had happened to him.

Sitting up slowly, Marcus sucked in a pained gasp as his newly knitted together bones screamed out in protest. It took several unsteady breaths for his nausea to pass; fresh pain made him aware of how lucky he was to live in a world that had magic. Memories slowly swam to the forefront of his mind, causing a new wave of nausea to be fought back, as he gulped in several mouthfuls of air. Fighting to steady his breathing as the nausea slowly passed, he glanced across the room. When he saw the lump in the bed across from his, he blinked slowly in the weak lighting as he finally made out the blonde hair that was strewn across the white pillow.

Tugging back the blankets that covered his legs, Marcus struggled out of bed. Swaying slightly, he wondered briefly why his left arm wasn't working. The thought was fleeting, however, and it fled his mind, thanks to Madame Pomfrey, in a ripple of magic; magic, that was designed to protect the mind from itself, and allow a patient a small measure of comfort when hurt. Resting his right hand against the bed for support, Marcus stared across the room at Katie; it had to be Katie in that moment. Not Bell, not Gryff, not when her blood had stained his skin. He could still hear the scream Katie had strangled in her throat. Still feel the heat of her breath against his skin; smell the scent of soap in her hair, and fresh air that had teased those pale strands. He could still picture the terror in her eyes.

Marcus crossed the distance on unsteady feet, and stared down at a still and pale Katie Bell. Her cheek was scratched, no doubt from the leather of his shoulder guards. Her shoulder was badly bruised against the white of the sheet that was tucked around her for modesty. He stared at her for a long moment, and then blinked slowly when a shaking hand came into his line of sight, and smoothed her hair back from her face. He was disorientated enough to blink several more times before he made the connection between the hand and the fact that it was his.

He briefly touched the blonde hair that was spread across her pillows, and tilted his head slightly as he carefully wrapped a smooth section of hair around his index finger. Marcus had pulled her hair numerous times on the pitch before, but he had never touched it with a bare hand. It was soft to touch; a mix of honey and the palest of gold that glinted weakly in the flickering light. He let her hair slide out of his grasp and slowly lowered his fingertips to the bruises that marred the pale skin of her shoulder and collarbone.

The contrast between the dark olive of his own skin and the pale cream of hers was stark. It never occurred to him what other people might think if they saw him leaning over her as she laid so silently. It never crossed his mind what others might think, if they saw the contrast in their skin tones, as his fingers gently walked over the bruised skin of her shoulder, searching out injury and breaks, searching through touch for what magic had already begun to heal. And as he gently pressed against her shoulder, all he could think about was the fear he had seen in those blue eyes. So large and frightened, and locked with his own as they plummeted to the ground together.

He reached up to touch the bruises and scratches that marred her cheek, and shuddered when he felt the incredibly smooth skin of her face under the calloused pads of his fingertips. Marcus swayed as he stood there, fingers resting against her face, and her scream echoing in his ears as he once more saw the fear in her eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and bent a bit closer to her, his fingers sliding down her face, throat and shoulder to rest against the bed. He struggled to remain standing; his body was screaming with pain, the cloud of medi-magic fogging his mind and sending the room spinning as he rocked back and forth on unsteady feet.

"Bell?"

His voice had broken at fourteen, leaving him with a deep, gravely voice. The rasp of his voice, however, was heavier than usual, and Marcus winced in pain as he swallowed what felt like razor blades and tried to speak again.

"Bell…. Katie…"

There was no answer from Katie, even with Marcus rasping out her name once more, his fingertips running across her cheek. He flinched when a warm hand covered his bare shoulder, and he straightened up and looked over his shoulder. Madam Pomfrey was standing behind him with Professor Snape, her hands outstretched and worry creasing her face as Marcus staggered while turning around fully to face them.

"Back to bed, Mr. Flint. You were badly injured, and you should not be up yet. Come now," Madam Pomfrey said gently, and Marcus blinked slowly as he turned back to stare down at Katie.

"Marcus."

Marcus turned to look at the head of his house when he heard his given name, only to have his knees buckle on him as a wave of nausea left him gagging and fighting for breath. The room swayed, tilted and turned black before he could speak and darkness rose to gently kiss him, as Snape leaped forward to catch his falling body.

When Marcus opened his eyes again, Snape was carefully levitating him down onto the bed as Madam Pomfrey poured another vile tasting potion down his throat. He coughed at the bitterness, and turned his face from her warm hand in protest. She clucked her tongue as she bustled away, muttering under her breath about having to treat men who acted like little boys as she went. Snape appeared in his wavering line of sight, his voice low as he tugged the blankets back over Marcus' legs.

"Professor Dumbledore awarded you one hundred house points, Mr. Flint, for catching Miss. Bell."

"Did we win?" Marcus wondered, and Professor Snape shook his head, as he inwardly hid the smile that Marcus' words bought. Only his burly Chaser would think of Quidditch at a time like this.

"No, not that it matters, Marcus. The game really ended when you and Miss. Bell were injured. Potter catching the snitch was nothing more than a formality."

Marcus rolled his head on the pillow, and looked past Snape to the other bed.

"Is Bell all right?" he asked, and Snape nodded.

"Yes. She was badly hurt, just like you. But it is much better to be hurt than dead, Marcus. You did Slytherin proud."

Marcus nodded and closed his eyes, his voice slowly growing fainter as he spoke.

"Never seen blue like that before… so clear…"

"What do you mean, Marcus?" Snape asked as he leaned closer, and Marcus blinked once more. He would later blame the fact that he was potioned to the eyeballs for what he said next, and no one dared to say otherwise.

"Katie Bell… She has blue eyes, Sir. Pretty blue eyes…"

Professor Snape straightened up when Marcus' own eyes rolled up in his head, and glanced over his shoulder at the other bed. And as he looked between the two students, he made the decision to keep a closer eye on the situation - pretty blue eyes indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Katie's eyes slowly fluttered open three days after the accident on the pitch; her shoulder and knee were throbbing, and as her eyes tried to bring the world into focus, she became aware of how silent the room was. There was no cheerful laughter echoing, nor was there the comforting crackle of a fire. Disoriented, and beginning to feel the first stirrings of fear, Katie fought back tears of desolation. Those feelings rose and thickened, and feeling more alone that she ever had, Katie was unable to stop the sound that escaped her lips.

Half gasp - half sob, it escaped her lips; it echoed through the silence of the medi-ward, only to have the silence break when a chair to her right creaked. The sound was followed by shuffling footsteps, footsteps that bought stormy grey eyes into her view. Black eyebrow drew together and Katie's lips parted in surprise when she saw that it was Marcus Flint frowning down at her. The silence between them stretched and grew brittle, so much so, that when Marcus finally spoke, Katie flinched.

"It's about time you woke up," he said gruffly.

Feeling like an insect being scrutinised by a bird, Katie struggled to sit up, and failed miserably. Marcus tilted his head slightly as he watched her attempt to sit up a second time, and then huffed in annoyance. He slid a calloused hand beneath her neck in support, stilling Katie's struggles, and causing her to look up in surprise. And when she gripped the arm he used to support her, Marcus slowly pulled her upright.

He kept his left arm by his side as he lifted her into a sitting position; a soft hiss of pain escaped his lips when Katie slumped forward against him. Her head fell into the dip of his left shoulder as she was briefly overcome with vertigo, but she still heard the yelp of pain that Marcus tried to stifle. She felt his hand tighten around the back of her neck as nausea twisted her stomach into knots, and she was surprised as his thumb moved in slow circles against the base of her scull, lulling her into silence, and settling her stomach slowly as she breathed deliberately and deeply.

Katie concentrated on breathing while the buzzing in her ears reached a crescendo. She felt Marcus' hand slide down her back to rest briefly between her shoulder blades, and then it was gone, only to return a moment later. When Marcus lowered her back towards the bed, Katie felt the pillows he had propped up for her, and closed her eyes and fought against the roll of nausea that rippled through her.

"Breathe, Bell... it'll pass."

His voice was a quiet growl of gruffness, bring more comfort than Katie thought possible. When she opened her eyes again, Marcus was stepping away from the edge of her bed. His face was blank as he lowered himself carefully into a chair that was beside her bed, his pose one of indifference as he returned her gaze silently. Wrapping the blanket in the chair around his shoulders, Marcus covered the multicoloured bruising that mottled his shoulders and back. He lifted an eyebrow when he saw that Katie was staring at him, causing Katie to blush. But she hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor for nothing, and she refused to look away.

"What happened?" Katie asked when the silence between them became uncomfortable.

Marcus shrugged, and idly picked at the blanket's edge.

"Bludger destroyed your broom. You fell," he said finally.

Katie wrinkled her nose slightly, and then shook her head as more of her memories slowly became clearer.

"You caught me," she said slowly, and Marcus snorted.

"You knocked me off my broom," he said flatly, and Katie's eyes widened slightly.

"You _caught_ me," she repeated, and Marcus' eyes darkened slightly.

"What of it?" he demanded, and Katie licked the corner of her lips.

"Nothing… just… thank you," she murmured, and Marcus jerked slightly in his seat.

"Whatever," he muttered a moment later and looked across the room silently.

"How long have we been in here?" she asked, and Marcus shrugged.

"Three long, boring days."

Katie nodded, a flicker of pain crossing her still too pale features. Marcus raised an eyebrow and sat forward slightly.

"Still hurt?" he asked, and Katie nodded. "Where?" he asked, and Katie shifted against the pillows.

"My shoulder...knee... it hurts all over. Do you know what my injuries were?" she asked, desperate to fill the silence that Marcus seemed content to let linger.

Marcus looked away from her, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows. Katie opened her mouth to repeat the question, only to break off when the infirmary door opened and Oliver walked in with Angelina. Oliver turned red when he saw Marcus sitting beside Katie's bed; he took in that Marcus was wearing nothing but low-slung hospital pants, and took several steps towards them angrily.

"What do you think you're doing, Flint?" he spat, and Marcus narrowed his eyes.

"What does it look like, Wood?" he asked coolly, and Oliver bristled.

"Knowing you, you're probably grilling Katie into giving up our Quidditch strategies! Typical Slytherin move - you'd take advantage of any situation, including an injured child!"

His Scottish accent thickened with anger as he took another couple of steps towards them. Marcus snorted as the girls exchanged exasperated looks. A cold smirk twisted Marcus' lips as he tilted his head in amusement, the disdain on his face as clear as day as he spoke slowly.

"_Really?_ I didn't think that Bell was as stupid as _you_ just made her out to be, Wood. Corruptible, _sure_ - but not stupid. That position was always reserved for _you_."

"Corruptible? What the hell do you mean by corruptible?" Oliver squeaked, and Marcus smirked again.

"Look at your team, Wood. The twins share a single brain, and are more into taking the piss out of everyone than chasing girls. Potter's too young, too golden, and all round too much hard work. Now, unless she's into girls, she's plum out of luck with anyone on the Gryffindor team…considering _you_ spend all your free time polishing your wood…"

Katie blushed at the subtle sexual innuendo that had Oliver spluttering in anger as Marcus smirked at him.

"So, what are you saying, Flint?" Oliver asked at last. "You think Katie would date someone from the Slytherin team?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow, and smirked.

"Given the right… incentive, why not? Bell might be the kind of girl who likes to live a little dangerously."

Katie looked between the two captains when Oliver drew himself up to his full height and glared at Marcus.

"You leave Katie alone - she's a good girl! She doesn't need the likes of you or your type of fun, Flint! I find you near her again? They'll need more than Skele-Gro potion!" Oliver hissed, and Marcus stood up slowly and gritted his teeth as he teetered momentarily on his feet.

"What are you saying, Wood? That I interfere with girls who are… how old are you again, Bell?" he asked, as his gaze flicked towards her. "All of twelve? Unlike certain _other_ captains, with their predilection for abstaining from sex, I happen to like _my_ witches with a few more years and a few more curves than Bell's got," he spat.

Katie flushed with humiliation as Oliver spluttered in anger.

"Stay away from my Quidditch team, Flint - stay away from Katie," Oliver warned again, and Marcus snickered coldly.

"Fine - next time I'll just let her fall." He turned to glance at Katie, his eyes glittering with temper. "The next time you wake up from a coma, do so quietly, Bell. I wouldn't want Wood thinking I was over here getting off on the fact that you woke up alone. Get Madam Pomfrey to give you a potion for the pain in your shoulder."

He turned away abruptly and shuffled towards his bed, affording the others a clear view of the bruising that covered his back. Black, blue and green from neck to hip, Marcus moved stiffly; his pain filled gait was slow and unsteady, and Oliver flushed again, though this time it was with shame. Marcus slowly eased down onto his bed and closed his eyes. His soft groan of pain unwillingly escaped through clenched teeth, and echoed in the quietness that had filled the medi-wing. Angelina turned to face Oliver in the silence that followed, her eyes shadowed over in disappointment.

"I think you'd better go, Ollie. I'll meet you back at Gryffindor tower," she said softly, and Oliver baulked.

"I'm here to talk to Katie about the game…" he began, only to have Angelina cut him off.

"And _I_ think _you've_ said enough. I don't want Katie to get too tired… or have to discuss Quidditch, when she's only just woken up from a bad fall."

Oliver's mouth opened and closed a few times, before he nodded sharply to Katie and turned on his heel and walked away. The girls watched him go, and Angelina bit back a giggle when in a rare display of childish temper, Katie stuck her tongue out at his retreating back. She sighed softly when the doors swung shut behind him, and looked over at Angelina.

"How you feeling, sweetie?" Angelina asked gently, taking a seat at Katie's side. Katie shrugged, but when Angelina reached out and covered Katie's hand with her own, Katie lifted haunted eyes and spoke haltingly.

"I'm so sore, that I feel like I'm going to be sick each time I breathe in. What happened, Angie?" she whispered and Angelina blanched in memory.

"There was an out-of-control bludger on the pitch – it barely missed Flint, and when it did, it flew up under you and destroyed your broom. You fell and collided with Flint. Then you both hit the pitch a moment later. There wasn't anything anyone could do, Katie. There wasn't even time for us to draw breath to call out a warning; one minute you were flying, the next you were falling... then you hit the ground."

"What were my injuries?" Katie whispered as Marcus' soft snores started to echo.

Angelina's hand tightened over Katie's, and for a long moment Katie thought that Angelina wasn't going to speak.

"The bludger shattered your knee. And when you... fell...you broke both arms and wrists," Angelina said finally. "You had them wrapped around Flint, and he landed on them. You dislocated your shoulder, tore it clean out of the socket. You also broke most of your ribs, from when he…" Angelina broke off and looked away for a moment. "Flint landed on his back, Katie. He broke your ribs, when he broke his back. His arms locked around you in spasm; Madam Pompfry said it was unavoidable," Angelina said softly.

Angelina looked across the room and frowned when Marcus winced as he shifted in the bed.

"He caught you when you collided with him. Your cloak twisted around him, but we all saw him lock his arms around you. He... he twisted mid air, and he took the brunt of the fall. It was almost... You landed on top of him, Katie - he made sure of it. If he hadn't..._you_ would have died. _He_ very nearly did."

Angelina stayed with Katie for a little while longer, until the younger girl's eyes slid shut again. She tucked Katie in, her hand gentle as she ran it across Katie's pale cheek. Leaving Katie's bed, she approached Marcus' silently, and stared down at the Slytherin Captain for a moment. Her eyebrows drawing together, Angelina bit her lip.

In her mind, she once more saw the fall that had landed Katie and Marcus in the hospital wing. She once more remembered the fear she had felt as she had stumbled to her knees at Katie's side, and willed back her tears as she recalled the sight of Katie unconscious on Marcus' chest, and the sight of his arms locked around Katie's thin frame. Her musings were broken when a hand closed vice like around her wrist. Marcus' eyes opened and he glared up at her.

"Have you ever wondered what happened to nosy little Gryffindors, who approach sleeping snakes?" he hissed, and tightened his grip when Angelina tried to tug her hand out of his.

Angelina glanced over her shoulder at Katie, and then back down at Marcus when he used his grip on her wrist to sit up slowly. The action bought them face-to-face; Marcus sneered at Angelina when she bit her lip, even as his face turned gray with pain.

"Katie means everything to me, Flint," she said finally, and the hand grasping her wrist loosened slightly.

"So, you came over here to tell me not to corrupt your little virgin princess, did you Johnson? Are you going to lock her up in the tower, so the big, bad Slytherin can't get to her?" he hissed, and Angelina shook her head slowly.

"No," she whispered, and Marcus sneered at her, before propelling her backwards a few steps by the wrist.

"According to Wood, maybe you should," he muttered, and Angelina smirked slowly.

"I don't need to lock her up, Flint - she'd hex you on principle alone. Lions don't mix well with snakes."

Angelina tossed her hair over her shoulder as she turned around, only to pause and look back over her shoulder.

"And Flint? As the Captain of Slytherin, you are known for knowing each and every detail about the other teams you play against. Their strengths, their weaknesses, even what style of playing they favour. It's what makes you so formidable on the pitch. So, I'll excuse your lack of memory, and put it down to the fact that you have concussion, when I have to tell you that Katie's nearly fifteen - not twelve... but then... being the Captain that you are?_ You'd know that_."

She smiled slyly when gray eyes snapped to hers, and after holding his gaze for a moment longer, she flounced away, leaving Marcus glowering after her. His eyes shifted back Katie's bed when she snuffled in her sleep, and then narrowed. Marcus laid back down and willed his body to mend quickly - he was sick of being stuck in the infirmary. It had nothing what so ever to do with the innocent gratitude he had seen shinning in Katie's eyes - or the knowledge that he'd seen in Johnson's.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Marcus sat at the base of the Slytherin Quidditch stand, with his cloak pulled tightly around his body as he stared out over the darkened pitch. The wind was cold against his face, but he welcomed the small measure of pain that it brought. It meant that he could feel after all. After three weeks of Skele-Gro, pain potions, and physical therapy to give him back full movement in his left arm, Marcus had finally been released from the infirmary. Fixing the spine, it seemed, was far easier than fixing muscle damage; Madam Pomfrey had told him that the damage done during his fall would require physical therapy, rest, and most importantly, time.

He had received a resounding welcome from his house-mates when he'd appeared in the great hall for dinner, which under the circumstances shouldn't have surprised him, but he was still caught off guard at the enthusiasm in which Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had joined in on the applause. More shocking, however, was the fact that some of Gryffindor had applauded too. And when the Professors had risen to their feet while clapping, Snape had almost smiled - it had been a truly scary moment.

Dumbledore had publicly announced the one hundred point addition to Slytherin for Marcus' selfless act, amidst cheers and grumbling. While his house-mates had applauded noisily, Marcus had glared at his plate and willed the floor to open and swallow him whole. It hadn't been a selfless act. More like blind luck for the Gryff, than anything else. He wasn't selfless; he was ruthless, calculating and when he put his mind to it, downright cruel. He was a Slytherin, damn it! Leave the feelings and selflessness to the bloody Gryffs! He hadn't been able to eat his dinner and then escape the stares he could feel quickly enough.

Thinking he'd be left alone in his own Common room had been a joke - his house mates had wanted to celebrate his return. Marcus had silently slipped away when things had started to get noisy, after some dim-witted fool had produced a bottle of firewhiskey. Needing some solitude, he'd come to the pitch. This spot was where he did his thinking. His calculating. Even so, calculations weren't what filled his mind. While the medi-witches had healed his body, they hadn't taken his memories. Those, he had found, he wanted desperately to do without.

Grunting slightly as he shifted, Marcus' gaze was drawn to the spot where he had landed. Just left to the centre of the pitch. And as he stared at the spot, he once more heard the snapping of bones. He remembered the excruciating pain that had come when he'd broken his back, along with the strange numbness that had enveloped his lower body. He heard the high pitched scream Katie had emitted, when he had crushed her in his arms. The snapping of finer bones, of _her_ bones, and the strangled tone that her breathing had taken on, as she'd slowly started to drown in her own blood because of his strength. And rolling to the side and onto his knees, he lost the fight with the rolling wave of nausea he had been fighting since he'd first walked into the Great Hall earlier that evening to applause, and emptied the contents of his stomach.

As he knelt on the pitch with his head hanging between his arms, Marcus once more felt the pure despair that he had been feeling since that afternoon just over three weeks ago. He'd almost died. He'd almost been left a paraplegic. If he hadn't been a wizard, if he hadn't lived in a world with magic… Marcus shook his head to clear it, as he panted through the vile taste in his mouth. He _did_ live in a world with magic - he wasn't going to spend his days unable to function as a man. He had always known that by playing Quidditch, he ran the risk of being injured - he'd just never thought that he'd suffer such a serious one. Rolling onto his side away from the mess he had made, Marcus breathed in deeply as he stared blindly across the pitch.

Bell - Katie - was being released tomorrow morning. She had made a complete recovery - she had full movement back in her shoulder, and her knee no longer looked like a pumpkin had taken up residence under her skin. Her body had recovered... Her mind, however, was another thing. Oliver bleeding Wood had returned to the infirmary to discuss Quidditch practice with her yesterday; Wood had missed the fear that had fluttered across Katie's face. Wood had missed it - Marcus hadn't. He knew what fear looked like and it had been as clear as day; it had clouded those haunting blue eyes and turned them murky; it had caused her skin to pale and then slowly gray. And the look in those blue eyes had haunted him for over an hour as Oliver, her oblivious, bloody _Gryffindor_ Captain, had chattered about all things Quidditch. Games, practice, World Cups, professional games, school games, and specific moves.

Oliver had talked and rambled, and Marcus had watched Katie's face from under his lashes the entire time. He had been unable to make himself look away; Katie had gradually grown quieter until finally, he'd had enough. Marcus had summoned Madam Pomfrey under the guise of wanting to know when he was being released. Madam Pomfrey had clucked at him, and told him he was returning to his house later that evening. And when she had turned away from his side, she had caught sight of Katie's pale, drawn face. Within moments, Wood was being shuffled on his way, even as he protested and pleaded to be allowed to stay. Nevertheless, Madam Pomfrey had held firm, and had shown him to the door. As Oliver spluttered, Marcus had kept his eyes on Katie and he'd seen that flicker of relief in her eyes.

Seeing gratitude in her eyes for catching her had made him uncomfortable. The gratitude, combined with the relief, just pissed him off because he hadn't saved her deliberately the _first_ time. And Oliver bleeding Wood had just made that gratitude worse, because he'd been forced to save her. _Again_. It left him feeling as if he had tainted her in some way. And that feeling was one he didn't care for. In the hours after they had shared that look, Marcus had seen it every time he had closed his eyes. It was almost like they shared a secret now; a dark secret, one that only they knew. It bound them together; connected them. And that had simultaneously scared him and pissed him off.

The last three weeks had been strange, of that he was certain. Johnson had been correct in her view of him - he knew everything there was to know each player on the other teams. From their height and weight, to their speed and agility on their brooms - he knew it all. From the obvious to the obscure - such as the Seeker from Hufflepuff - Diggory; the lad had a flaming crush on Pucey, something that wasn't public knowledge. Marcus knew, however, and he used that crush and his friendship with Adrian to his advantage - Hufflepuff hadn't won a game against them since Marcus had learned _that_ little secret. And before the fall, Katie had only been another statistic in his mind; Gryffindor Chaser. Blonde. Five foot, three inches tall, and if he was being generous, roughly one hundred pounds, dripping wet.

But then Katie had fallen. And she was no longer a statistic in his mind. Five foot, three inches tall, and hell on a broom. However that hadn't told him that she would only come up to his shoulder when they were standing side-by-side in the infirmary, doing physiotherapy. One hundred pounds, dripping wet. That hadn't told him that she was fine boned. Dainty. Petite. However you wanted to word it. Against him, she was tiny. Five foot three, against his six foot even. One hundred pounds of fine bones and delicate skin, against his one hundred and sixty odd pounds of pure muscle. And in his arms, he'd crushed her like a twig.

Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape had spoken with him at length one afternoon, while Katie had been asleep. Marcus' recovery had been set back due to the nightmares he was having, and after a particularly nasty nightmare involving a Dementor's kiss that Madam Pomfrey had woken him from, he was told he needed to speak to someone. He'd smirked at them over that. Smirked, until Professor Snape had pulled the feelings straight out of Marcus' mind. Guilt. He was feeling guilty. Guilty, that Katie was still having trouble breathing. Guilty, that Katie's rib cage was as black and blue as his own back was. But with Snape speaking to him in the clear, precise logic of their house, Marcus had been left with no choice but to believe what he was being told.

He was Slytherin; he was cunning, sly and a complete brute on the pitch when he put his mind to it. He'd grown up with that lifestyle but the thought of laying a violent hand against a woman caused him to break out in cold chills. That kind of violence against women was unimaginable. But in catching Katie, in saving her _life_, Marcus had physically hurt her. He'd broken nine of her ribs when his arms locked around her. Four on the left, and five on the right… which had lead to her right lunged being punctured. And the guilt of hurting her – Katie, the _girl_ – had been eating at his insides. Snape had stared at him silently for the longest time, before he had spoken slowly, the knowledge and understanding in his gaze forcing Marcus to pay attention.

_"She will be feeling that pain for some weeks yet, Marcus. And you will never forget what it sounds like, to hear someone begin to drown in their own blood. That terrible rattle, as they fight to breath through the fluid in their lungs. You'll feel the stain of her blood against your skin for the rest of your life; it is a stain that never washes away. Nevertheless in saying that, also remember this; it could have been much, much worse. You saved her life. What happened to Miss. Bell wasn't your fault. Let go of the guilt; it is..." Snape's voice broke off for a moment, and his black eyes flicked towards Katie. And when he looked back at Marcus, his meaning was crystal clear. "An emotion that will cripple you... __**If**__ you let it."_

Marcus couldn't remember what else they had spoken about that night. Yet every time he looked at Katie, he heard Snape's quiet voice in his head. He heard the underlying warnings, that Snape had tried instilling within him. However it was too late. The look he had shared with Katie had spun a fine thread between them. And as the long days and even longer nights stretched out, that gossamer fine tether between Marcus and Katie grew more tangible. And the more it strengthened, the more Marcus tried to pull away from it. Unable to understand it, unable to trust what he was feeling, Marcus resorted to what he was comfortable with - anger, sarcasm, and a streak of ruthlessness that even his house mates were wary of.

Katie had tried talking to him several times during his last hours in the infirmary. Marcus had ignored her at first, but her typical Gryffindor stubbornness had kept her at it and he'd resorted to simply grunting in response. That hadn't worked for long, and when Katie had asked him to answer her question, he'd found himself snarling familiar insults that had silenced her, and had stolen all the colour from her cheeks. She'd lowered her head, a curtain of hair sliding across her cheek and hiding her from his line-of-sight. However he'd seen her eyes before she'd hidden them from him, and the hurt in them had made him feel like an utter pillock. And as the moment stretched out, Marcus had tried to think of something - anything - to say, that would remove that look from eyes that now bothered him.

Her eyes were blue - not pale and icy, not dark and shadowed over, but a shade of blue so startling, that Marcus had spent several hours wondering why he hadn't noticed them before. Corn-flower blue, a shade he knew so damn well; his mother's favorite and one that had been so predominate in his childhood. Set under eyebrows that were a shade darker than the hair on her head, her eyes were wide, thickly lined with dark lashes, and so fucking innocent, that it made him feel sick. He'd seen her smile at her house mates who had visited, and he'd watched her laugh at their terrible humor and attempts to cheer her up.

His hands fisted, knuckles whitening with frustration as he remembered those instances and the simple fact that he had seen right through her. Why was it that he knew the only true time she'd enjoyed herself at been when the Weasley twins had visited. They had regaled her with a story of blowing garden gnomes sky high at their house and he'd watched, unable to look away, at the way her face and eyes had lit up with laughter. It hadn't mattered that he had been struggling with a gut-deep warning; the knowledge that somehow he'd taint that damn innocence if he watched too long. She was a child – a mere slip of a thing and he had no business letting her confuse him... She had no right to rattle him this way… Why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

Ignoring the feeling in his stomach, Marcus lurched to his feet and made his way back to the dungeons, where he sat in front of the fire, and ignored those of his house-mates who were still awake. One by one they drifted away, until Marcus was finally able to relax as he stared at the flickering lights. And when Diana Bletchley approached him, Marcus sat back in his chair and looked up at her silently. There were two people that Marcus trusted absolutely; Adrian Pucey, and the woman standing in front of him. He was more amused than surprised when she stepped between his spread knees and she smiled down at him, her hand lifting to trace the line of his jaw. The slight curve of her lips widened as the muscle under her hand jumped.

"Such a brave boy," she mused and Marcus snorted.

"Don't play games, Diana," he warned softly as he tilted his head slightly. "What do you want?"

She stepped closer as she smoothed her hands through his hair.

"I know what _I_ want - question is though, Marcus, do _you_ want the same thing?" Diane angled her head at him, letting the fall of her hair hide her eyes from everyone but him. Underneath the teasing there was a glint of affection that deepend when he finally let the tips of his fingers slide down the side of her thigh, brushing against the smooth skin of her knee. Letting his finger curled against her leg, he sighed heavily and shook his head. Diane frowned at him and dropped gracefully to her knees.

"When have you not been in the mood to play, Marcus?" she purred, and Marcus' eyebrows drew together mockingly even as he read the concern in the way she watched him.

"Uh... Let's see... Maybe because we lost the Quidditch Cup. It might be because I've missed two of my NEWTS, which, if you weren't so busy looking for a husband to snare, you'd know means an automatic fail. Oh! I know! It might be because I broke my sodding back, Diana. Take your pick," he snarled.

The coyness vanished from her face, and Diana squeezed his knee, her nails biting into the skin in a silent repremand for his tone, but her voice was gentle when she spoke.

"Has Professor Snape said anything about you missing those NEWTS?"

Marcus scraped his hands down over his face, and then shook his head as he stared bleakly at the fire.

"Not really. Just that I might need to repeat them. He's looking into it."

Diana rose to her feet and sat beside with Marcus silently.

"How long have we been friends, Marcus?" she asked quietly, and when Marcus looked at her, Diana reached out and laced her fingers through his.

"No games... How long have we been friends?"

Marcus finally shrugged, and dropped his eyes to their entwined hands.

"Since we were kids," he mumbled, and when Diana squeezed his hand, Marcus flicked his eyes towards her. Her expression was controlled, but years of friendship let him read her expressions flawlessly and he caught the edge of her determination to get her point across. Anyone else, and he would have brushed them off before they could start. But Diane was different; he trusted her in ways he rarely trusted anyone and if she really had it in her head to discuss this, then she wouldn't let him just walk away.

"A long time. So, when I tell you that it doesn't matter if you have to repeat those NEWTS, do you believe me?"

Marcus' shoulder jerked in response, and Diana sighed.

"All right. Another way of viewing it. If you have to repeat those NEWTS, it means another year of flying, here at Hogwarts. It means another year of Captaincy, and another year of trying out plays. It means a better chance of being picked up by a scout, rather than having to face open try-outs. You knew that the scouts were concentrating on Durmstrang this year, because of Viktor Krum." Diana shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe if you do repeat, you can drop the other classes that you took this year, and just concentrate on the ones that will get you further. Talk to Madam Hooch. She might be able to give you some direction. That way, if you don't get picked up by a scout, you could maybe look into assistant coaching."

Catching his eyes with hers, Diana sighed.

"Failing two NEWTS, Marcus, because of what you did? It doesn't mean anything. Let's face it, you are scarily smart in the way you think. In the way you fly and lead Slytherin. You'll succeed, no matter what you choose to do."

Marcus sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Diane wasn't telling him anything new, but the outside perspective somehow helped mollify his temper. Feeling a little disgruntled, he blew out a breath. He'd be a lot more irritated if anyone but Diane was reminding him logically how the situation could be salvaged - something he should have already done for himself.

And when Diana leaned over and brushed her lips across his cheek, he swore softly, and turning his head, he kissed her. He felt the soft hum that she made, the vibration of it tickling his lips. In the quietness of the common room, he snaked his hand around the base of her neck, and pulled her into his lap. Another soft sigh, and Diana wound her arms around him, and coiled her tongue along his. When Marcus finally groaned some long minutes later, Diana broke the kiss, and lightly brushed the tip of her nose down the bridge of his, that faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"It's been a while. For you. _For us_. So, go slow for me, all right?"

Marcus' lips parted as if he was about to speak, before he bit out a slew of expletives crude enough to make her blush. It had been a while since the last time they'd been together. They both knew the risks of relationships, and the hard truth was, Diana was likely going to be married directly out of Hogwarts, if her father hadn't already drawn up the papers. Being with Marcus let her be with someone she trusted and cared about, neither of which she was guaranteed once she graduated.

So when Marcus stood up, and lowered her to her feet, Diana smiled again as he held his hand out to her. She was still smiling as he turned to her in the privacy of his bed and kissed her thoroughly. She had always loved this about Marcus - when he was with her, she felt like he would devour her whole. The impatient way his hands tugged at her clothing left her breathless. The rough edge of his callouses caught at her skin and she shivered and cursed as she fumbled with the catches of his clothing, working to strip him before he managed to get her naked. Sex with Marcus was a ride, but if she wanted her chance to touch, she had to take control early. Pushing him down, she glanced up from under her lashes and smirked before she took his erection into her mouth, humming in contentment.

Marcus swallowed back a harsh groan at the sensation of Diana using her tongue and lips to drive him mad. Hands tangling in her hair, he squeezed his eyes shut as she gripped him expertly, her familiarity with his body making it far to easy for her to make him beg. Gritting his teeth, he groaned and tugged at her hair. Instead of lifting up, she simply took him deeper into her mouth. Lips parting, Marcus groaned and breathed out harshly. Head tilting backwards, he closed his eyes as his breathing went ragged.

Diana hummed again, loving the way his hips trembled under her, the way his hands clenched the long strands of her hair. Loved that he let her do this, have this control when she needed it. It wouldn't last for long, it had been such a long time for both of them, but she relished each ragged groan, each helpless reaction to her touch. She felt him move and opened her eyes to look up at him from under her lashes when his fingertips grazed her cheek deliberately. Their eyes met, and Marcus' hips jerked up off the bed as he cursed. Abruptly his hands untangled themselves from her hair and curled around her upper arms, pulling her up his body. The sudden flex of muscle and press of his body as he flipped their positions, he barely gave her time to gasp in appreciation before he was between her thighs. Finding her wet and willing, her moan echoed in his ears when he tilted her hips up and pushed inside her.

Hot, wet, and Diana was right. It _had_ been a while, and Marcus paused as he bottomed out. He'd never been so close to the edge before, and he fought for composure as Diana bared her throat and purred. Taking a deep breath, Marcus finally started to thrust, his eyes trained on Diana's throat and his eyebrows drawn together in fierce concentration. Long legs wrapped around his waist and the faint sting of her nails against his shoulder blades made his shiver. Her lashes lifted and when their eyes met, Marcus faltered; his hips jerking as he lost his rhythm. They stared at one another for a heart beat, before Marcus dropped his face into the dip of her shoulder.

Diana jerked under him when he found his rhythm again, hands digging into the muscles of his back desperately as his teeth grazed the muscle of her shoulder. Panting, she couldn't stop the moan as he pushed back inside her, her body slowly beginning to tingle. Fuck, it had been a while since she'd had sex with Marcus, but the wait had been worth it.

The width of his shoulders blocked out the light, and Diana turned her head on the pillow and panted against his skin of those broad shoulders. His hips never stopped moving, and Diana swallowed as Marcus rotated his hips on a withdrawal, and she cried out when on the return, he snapped his hips towards hers. Hard. Not fast - no, Marcus loved this far too much for it to be over too quickly. He preferred his sex slow, with heavy thrusts that she would be feeling for days. She always did. Thick and heavy inside her, Diana began to tremble on every slow withdrawal, and when he shifted his knee on the bed to widen the V of her thighs, Diana skimmed her hand up his back and fisted it his hair.

"_Fuck._..."

A muggle curse, one that rarely passed his lips, and it was muttered into her skin as she tightened around him. His lips were moving against her skin and she shuddered at the scrap of his teeth against her skin in direct counterpoint to the way his body was moving against hers. His rhythm began to turn choppy but it didn't matter as the tightness in her belly grew unbearable. As it finally snapped, she heard the snarl that escaped his lips as he lifted his head to watch her. Her eyes were already blurring with pleasure, blinding her to everything, but the burn of an intense orgasm. She cried out softly, her fingers digging into his upper arms and Marcus bit his lip to bite back his own voice while he watched her. And as he watched her, as he felt her pulse around him, he tried to ignore the fact that her eyes were blue.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

"What are you looking at, Katie?"

Caught unaware, Katie's gaze snapped to Angelina's. A flush highlighted her cheeks, and Angelina smiled warmly as she waited for a response. Katie smiled slightly in return and then shrugged as she tucked her hair behind her ear. She dropped her eyes back to her dinner, and slowly pushed a piece of carrot across her plate as her house-mates chattered around her. Katie missed the worry that fluttered across Angelina's face, and the silent look that passed between Angelina and Fred when Angelina glanced at her boyfriend, and found him watching Katie as well. But when Fred charmed a green bean to dance with a piece of carrot on Katie's plate, Angelina could have snogged him silly; Katie's face lit up in amusement, and her laughter slipped free, a sound that carried and drew eyes from all corners of the Great Hall.

It had been nearly two weeks since Katie had been released from the infirmary. Nearly six weeks since she had almost lost her young life. And in those six weeks, there had been a noticeable change in Katie. She had become quiet and withdrawn - preferring solidarity to the company of her house-mates. Angelina and Lee had noticed it straight away, but eventually the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team had noticed. The twins had tried including her in some of their jokes, only to be politely rebuffed in favor of homework. Oliver had tried pushing Katie into coming back to practice, only to have Angelina and Alicia verbally attack him over it. The only person Katie had really confided in was Lee Jordan, and he refused point blank to tell the others what was bothering Katie. He held her secrets, the way she held his.

Unable to force herself to eat anything else, Katie sighed heavily and dropped her fork onto her plate and pushed it away. Gathering her courage, she peeked through her lashes, and looked towards the Slytherin table; the first time she had done this, she had jerked in her seat when she had found that Marcus had been watching her. But as she lifted her eyes and met Marcus' steady gaze, she lifted her chin so that she was watching him as openly as he was watching her. She saw the corner of his lips quirk upwards in amusement, and he tilted the goblet in his hand slightly in her direction - Katie could almost hear him whisper an off handed compliment to her Gryffindor bravery. But when a familiar hand come to rest on her knee under the table, Katie quickly averted her gaze. Glancing to her left, she smiled when she saw that Lee was watching her. Lee's hand caressed her knee gently when Katie smiled at him, but his gaze still flicked towards the Slytherin table. After a silent moment, during which Katie lowered her gaze, Lee finally spoke as he stood up and held his hand out to her.

"You coming, Katie? I told you that I'd help you with the Potions Parchment."

Katie nodded and reached out to take his hand. Lee draw her to her to her feet, and reaching out, he tugged gently on her hair, before he bent to pick up her bag. And with Lee's attention diverted, Katie risked another look toward the Slytherin table. When she met Marcus' steady gaze once more, Katie licked her lips and managed a small smile. His eyes cool, Marcus simply tilted his head to the side as he studied her, before he dismissed her entirely when he turned his attention to Adrian Pucey. Katie mentally scolded herself for letting Marcus' dismissal affect her, and turned blindly when Lee took her hand in his. She missed the sidelong glance Marcus took at the Gryffindor table. She missed it - but Lee didn't; he'd been watching the older boy and on seeing Marcus' gaze flicker over Katie once more, he narrowed his eyes. And when Marcus glanced at Lee, Lee raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. With a final cold look for the Slytherin, Lee tugged Katie after him as Angelina looked after them curiously. Rather than head for Gryffindor tower or the library, Lee led Katie towards a quiet nook on the ground floor, a safe distance away from the Great Hall. Katie's voice broke before she managed to ask any questions, and when Lee gestured to dimly lit nook, Katie sat down silently.

"Are you ok, Katie?" Lee asked quietly as he sat down beside her.

Katie shrugged slim shoulders, and crossed her legs under herself. She plucked at the hem of her school skirt as Lee watched her, and when she finally lifted her eyes, they were troubled. Lee sighed softly and reaching out, he smoothed his hand up and down the outer edge of her bare thigh silently. Katie's lips parted, but when nothing came out but a sound of frustration, Lee swore softly.

"Katie. I'm not blind_,_" he said quietly. "I can see the way that you look at him... The way that he looks at _you_. It won't be long until the others notice. Until _Slytherin_ notices. You know how cruel they can be... How cruel _he_ can be. You're playing with fire here, and I really don't want to see you get burned."

Katie shook her head, and then sighed. Lee didn't have to elaborate on what he was talking about, and they had been friends for far too long for her to pretend that she didn't know what or _who_ he meant.

"Do you… do you _fancy_ him, Katie?" Lee whispered, and Katie shook her head slightly, and then blew out a deep breath.

"It's not that, Lee" she said finally. "I just want to know _why_. Why did he do it? Why does he spend half his time watching me, and the other half looking at me with total contempt? That's if he doesn't look through me, like I don't even exist. I didn't _ask_ him to save me, Lee, and it's almost like he hates me for the decision _he_ made!" she cried softly, and then tugged on her hair in frustration.

Lee shrugged helplessly, and settling his hand on her thigh once more, smoothed his thumb over the inside of her knee.

"I don't know _why_, Katie. Only Flint knows the answer to those questions, and to be honest, I _really_ don't want to know the answers. However this I _do_ know - they're all the same. Those of Slytherin look out for number one. Self-preservation."

Lee broke off, and then squeezed Katie's knee gently.

"Self preservation, Katie. Yet, in that one moment? He saved you too. I don't know why he did it... And the only worry I have, is that he'll decide he_ does_ want something in return."

"Like what, Lee? His family comes from a long line of wealth and privilege, so it's not as if he's going to want any money. What else do I have to give?" Katie asked quietly.

Lee remained silent as he looked at Katie; he could see the shadows of fatigue under her eyes, and the worry that pinched her mouth as she stared at him. And when he squeezed her thigh again, Lee deliberately lightened his tone.

"I don't know, Katie. Your soul? What's the standard rate for a soul anyway? Is it worth a Knut or a Sickle? Oh! Do you think your soul might be worth a Galleon?" he asked, and the tension broke as Lee had intended it too.

Katie bit her lip and then grinned. Her laughter was soft and it filled the dim area with a light sound as she shook her head in amusement. Settling back against the wall, they began to discuss Quidditch.

"Do you plan to play again next year, Katie?" Lee asked, and then frowned when she hesitated. "Have you even flown since the fall?" he asked, and then sighed when Katie shook her head.

"No. When I was released from the infirmary, Madam Hooch said it just wasn't a good idea yet for me to fly. She'd spoken to Madam Pomfrey, and they said something about my lungs and the cold and altitude, and to just rest. I can fly again in the new season."

"I wonder how Ollie's going to be as Captain again next year. He was really tough this year, the way he demanded all those extra practices and such," Lee said, and Katie groaned softly.

"I swear, Lee, I have abdominal muscles that you could bounce a Sickle off," Katie said with a sigh, and Lee chuckled.

"What about the time he had us go out onto the pitch so that I could practice my announcing, while you lot were flying?" he asked, and Katie laughed quietly.

"I've never seen you turn that red before, Lee! You wear wounded pride almost as well as you wear dreadlocks."

Lee grinned and tugged on the thick wave of hair that fell down her back.

"He insulted me! I know more about announcing than he does flying, and that's saying something! What about the early morning workouts?" he murmured, and Katie grimaced.

"If he dares wakes us up at the crack of dawn to do gauntlets again, I'll whack him over the head with a Beater's bat, and then drown him in the lake!" she vowed, causing Lee to laugh helplessly as Katie mimicked hitting someone with said bat.

"How very Slytherin of you, Bell," a voice drawled, and Katie and Lee both jumped when Marcus smirked at them as he stepped out of the shadows.

"What do you want, Flint?" Lee asked quietly, and narrowed his eyes when he saw a muscle in Marcus' jaw twitch at the innocent question.

"Nothing that you can give me, Jordan," he said finally, and gestured down the hall. "You're sitting in the hall that leads to the Slytherin section of the castle - not the safest place for two little lions to be found. You'd best run along, before the rest of them come this way."

Lee stood up and held his hand out to Katie. Drawing her to her feet, Lee stepped around Marcus, and began to lead Katie after him. She stopped still, however, when Marcus closed his hand around Katie's arm. Katie's eyes lifted at his touch, and her lips visibly trembled when his hand slid slowly to hers. The muscle in his jaw twitched again when Katie's fingers curled under his, and when Marcus looked down at Katie, his face was carefully blank.

"You might want to suggest to Wood, that he looks up the history of Michael Blusteroad," he said finally. "Wood could take a few tips from Blusteroad in regard to his Captaincy. It might get him further next year, rather than being found dead on the bottom of the lake with his skull bashed in," he said quietly, and Katie swallowed and lifted her chin.

"Do you mean the Captain who worked his players so hard, that they all quit rather than have to deal with his tyranny?" she asked in confusion.

Marcus smirked slightly and nodded, only to have Katie narrow her eyes at him and tug her hand free from his.

"Good luck on the last of your NEWTS, Flint. Good luck with everything that you choose to do after you leave," she said quietly.

At the look of confusion that crossed his face, Katie shrugged.

"I look forward to your success for two reasons - after this year is over, I won't have to spend my time wondering if, and when you are going to try to pull my head off by the hair when we meet on the pitch."

Katie broke off and swallowed.

" And two?" Marcus asked, and Katie lifted her chin.

"And two, I won't wonder why you're pretending to give a damn about..." She broke off again and shook her head as a flush of color stained her cheeks. "...What Oliver does as Captain, and how it affects his players," she finished softly.

"I don't care, Bell," Marcus said flatly as he stepped away from her. "You want to bash the Scottish gits skull in, go right ahead. It doesn't concern me in any way. Jordan here, however, might have a problem with his girlfriend being sent to Azkaban for doing the Wizarding world a favor."

"Girlfriend?" Lee and Katie said at the same time, and then grimaced at one another in distaste as Marcus looked between them.

"What have you been drinking, Flint?" Lee asked, as he reached out and gently pulled Katie away from Marcus. "Katie's no more _my_ girlfriend than she is _yours_. Lay off the fire-whiskey. People might think you're crazy."

They walked away together silently, leaving Marcus staring after them from within the shadows. And when Katie risked a look over her shoulder, he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Five chapters in, and I've only just realized that you lovelies haven't seen the banner that goes with this fic - so here you are!

.

An angry Marcus Flint was a man one did not reckon with. He'd been angry to learn that he would have to repeat his seventh year; catching Katie, and his subsequent hospitalization, hadn't been taken into account when he had failed to take two of his NEWTS. The Ministry of Magic had decided that he would need to retake those two classes, rather than just sit the NEWTS themselves. He had spent his summer appealing that decision with Professor Snape, and surprisingly enough, Professor Dumbledore, but the Ministry had held firm. Not even being told by Madam Hooch that the Falmouth Falcons were interested in seeing him fly had been balm enough to sooth his anger. That balm had come from Waltham Princely himself - the Head Coach from the Falcons had personally sat down with Marcus, and told him what he needed to do to make the Falcon's reserve team.

That layer of balm had been added too, when Madam Hooch had agreed to let Marcus sit in on some of her classes, so that he could learn how to coach younger players. His days at Hogwarts would be spent resitting DADA and Advanced Potions, while the rest of his time would be taken up learning the finer aspects of Quidditch, coaching and flying itself. Already a force to be reckoned with both on and off the broom, Waltham Princely had promised Marcus that by the time the school year was over and he was flying with the Falcons, his skills would be legendary. He'd make the Senior team within six months, and a whole world of possibilities would open for him - he just had to be patient.

He'd been angry to learn that Diana had finished her seventh year, only to be married off to an older wizard by her father when she returned home. She'd spent her honeymoon in a state of drunken animation, and her father was threatening to disown her if she didn't produce a heir. Furthermore, the marriage had included a fidelity cause within the magical binding ceremony - if Diana committed adultery, she would be publicly divorced, and left desolate. And as for the wizard? Marcus had shuddered when Diana had whispered that the spells involved, would leave the wizard infertile, impotent, and would do so for the remainder of his life. He'd brushed a kiss over the back of her hand, and watched as her heart broke as they said goodbye to any future she may have wanted for them.

He'd been angry at the welcoming feast when he'd seen the shock on Oliver Wood's face. The Scottish git had looked like a guppy, as his mouth opened and closed at the sight of Marcus. That anger had turned to amusement on the team's first practice, when Olive has scurried over to Madam Hooch, demanding more pitch time for Gryffindor as Slytherin had swept through the sky in a wave of green and silver. That amusement had faded back to anger when she had finally agreed though, in an effort to shut Oliver up. Madam Hooch's lips had twitched in amusement when Marcus' had offered to drown Oliver in the lake to stop his insistent harping about pitch time, even though she had held firm. That being said, however, she had offered Marcus the same amount of time, just to even the score.

He'd been angry when after his meeting with Madam Hooch, Marcus had walked into the Slytherin change room, and had heard Malfoy boasting about his prowess on a broom; the bribe from Draco's father the previous year did nothing to stop Marcus throwing a beaters bat across the room at Draco in anger. The bat had barely missed Draco's head, and as the team watched on silently, Marcus had bailed the younger Malfoy up and blistered his ears. Malfoy had been close to tears by the time Marcus was done with him, and even some of the older players had looked nervous.

"_Just because Daddy bought your position on the team last year, Malfoy, doesn't mean I won't kick your pale arse off the team __**this**__ year, if you don't start pulling your weight. Stop making it a rivalry between little boys who need to either put up or shag. Potter might be a quick Seeker, but you have one thing that he doesn't - __**me**__. You have me, Malfoy, breathing down your sodding neck. You either catch that bloody snitch, or I swear to Salazar, I'll feed you to the Thestrils, one limb at a time. Are we clear?"_

With a fire in his belly and murder in his eyes, Marcus had spoken quietly. Calmly. Draco had believed him, whole-heartedly. He'd blubbered out an apology, to which Marcus had snarled what the younger man could do with that apology. Draco had tripped over his own feet in his haste to back away from Marcus, but no one had dared laugh. Marcus' temper was legendary, and each player knew that he would do whatever it took to win. He'd left the Slytherin team torn between admiration and fear, and Draco Malfoy extremely close to peeing his pants.

However, all that anger paled in comparison as he sat huddled against the driving wind and rain in the Slytherin Quidditch tower; he was watching the Gryffindor team during a practice that should have been canceled due to the sheer state of the weather alone. As Oliver Wood bawled out orders to his team-mates, Marcus drew his cloak tighter around his chilled body. Potter had already caught the Snitch, but still Oliver drove them to practice more. The twins darted around the goals together, bashing the Bludger back and forth between them, as Oliver shouted out directions from where he was huddled on his broom using the Sonorus charm. The three Chasers were weaving in and out of the Quidditch stands in a tight formation. The Quaffle flipped from hand to hand, until it slipped from numb fingers and Oliver near screamed in frustration as Angelina broke formation and angled her broom into a dive to catch the Quaffle.

"Bloody hell, Katie! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Katie gestured, yet the snatching wind caught her reply and blew it away. But when Angelina flew towards Oliver, her angry voice was caught by the Sonorus charm, and echoed across the pitch.

"For the love of Godric, Oliver, back off, and leave Katie alone!"

"I'm the Captain of this team, Angelina, and if I ask a player a question, I expect an answer!" Oliver shouted, and in a fit of pure anger, Angelina threw the Quaffle at him.

Oliver caught the Quaffle, but his face showed his shock as Angelina gestured angrily.

"Katie's tired, Oliver! She had a midnight Astronomy class last night, and she was back up at dawn for practice this morning! But instead of being able to curl up this afternoon and sleep, she's out here again! Practicing! You know that we'll beat Slytherin, we always do! This fear of Flint and what he's taught the Slytherin team has gone too bloody far! Quidditch is meant to be fun, Oliver, but you are making it a pure misery! Lay off Katie, or I swear, none of us will play for you!"

Oliver's jaw dropped, and his cheeks flamed red at the chastising he received. With a terse nod, he called for the team to get to the showers and head inside. Katie was one of the last to land, and she almost stumbled to her knees when she did. One of the twins caught her around the waist, his head lowering towards Katie's as he spoke quietly. It looked as if Oliver was going to speak again, but then the twin holding Katie lifted his head, and after shooting Oliver a filthy look, spoke loudly.

"George...Take the brooms, yeah?"

George reached out and took both brooms, and as Marcus watched, Fred wrapped his arm around Katie's waist, and half carried her towards the change rooms. Oliver dropped his chin in shame, and as Marcus moved through the shadows near the changing rooms, George's voice lifted over the driving rain.

"You're unbelievable, Ollie. You know that Madam Hooch told Katie to take it easy, to ease back into playing. I'd wondered why she told you to look up Michael Blusteroad last year... Now I know."

Marcus slipped away as George left Oliver alone in the rain and entered the Gryffindor changing rooms. As Marcus walked through the soaking rain as he headed towards the castle, he wondered whether to send Wood a copy of Michael Blusteroad; the History as a gift. When dinnertime came around, he watched the Gryffindor table silently. The team sat together as always, but there was a noticeable frostiness between them as they ate silently. Seated between Angelina and Lee, Katie yawned her way through dinner. Twice Angelina nudged Katie's plate back towards her; Katie pulled a face each time, but ate a little more nonetheless. It was only when she rested her chin on her fist and closed her eyes that Angelina finally pulled the plate away and smoothed her hand down the length of Katie's hair. Katie managed a tired smile, before she slipped away, leaving her team mates to break out in a furious, though hushed, conversation that was directed at Oliver. The conversation ended when Oliver abruptly rose to his feet and stormed away.

Marcus watched them speculatively as the remaining teammates huddled together and spoke quietly. He was still watching them when Draco tapped his arm and demanded to know what Marcus was plotting against the Gryffindors. Marcus turned his head slowly and looked at Draco through narrowed eyes, until the pale young man began to squirm in his seat. The students around them fell silent, and Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"You know, Malfoy, if you put in as much effort to catch the Snitch as you do plotting against the Gryffs, we'd win the Quidditch cup hands down. However, you're that busy trying to get Potter to notice you, that you let him catch it instead. So, in the future, if there is any _plotting_, as you put it, how about you leave that to the big boys, hmm?"

Draco flamed bright red as snickers ran up and down the Slytherin table, and he lowered his eyes to the table as Marcus picked his bag up. Point made, Marcus stood up without another word and walked away. Walking through the library, he headed for the darker corners near the restricted section. Settling down at his usual table, he spread out his parchments and started the assignment Snape had set him that day. He knew the material, and finished the assignment quickly. Nevertheless, his mind wasn't on the Potions' essay, nor was it on the DADA essay that needed to be finished. No. His mind was on Katie Bell. _Again_. With something akin to a snarl, Marcus dropped his quill and dragged his hands down over his face.

Marcus had watched several lightening fast emotions cross her face when Katie had seen him on the first day back at school, and each one was stored away in his mind. She had blushed first when they had locked eyes, and she had been unable to hide her surprise. But her eyes had shown her confusion. And finally, the worst emotion of all - resignation. Last year, she had watched him from under her lashes. Peeked at him through a curtain of blonde hair. When he'd looked at her, when grey eyes had clashed with blue, her eyes had darted away from his, and she'd lower her chin as a faint blush warmed her cheeks. Not in coyness - not from her. She didn't know the games the older girls played - no, from Katie, it was real. Last year, it had confused him. This year... It was a harder emotion to name.

This year, she presented another fraction of the puzzle she had become in his mind. Rather than meet his eyes as she had done so last year, this year she kept her gaze carefully averted. It both amused and infuriated him, and it had him watching her more frequently as he tried to solve this Katie shaped puzzle. He tried to read her, to work out the how's and why's, only to come up empty-handed. Marcus sat back in his chair and looked out across the library. When he caught sight of a familiar head of hair, he narrowed his eyes, and then blew out a deep breath. Taking a quick look around himself, Marcus sat back and looked her over slowly. Yes, Katie had changed since last year. Tilting his head, Marcus studied her silently; she was reading over the parchment she had been writing, and her quill dangled loosely from her fingers.

She wasn't beautiful, Marcus reasoned with himself. Not in the typical sense. Her cheekbones and eyes dominated her face. Her mouth was a shade too full, the cupids bow in her top lip pronounced. Her chin was dainty, even when it was tilted at a stubborn angle. And she was all long legs, and slender lines; not a curve to her that he could see through the long knitted jumpers she tended to favor. And as he watched her, while he looked over her features with a critical eye, Katie gathered her hair up from the base of her neck. Pulling it up into a messy pile at the back of her head, she shoved a spare quill through the long strands. That simple move bared her neck and a smooth section of skin as her jumper slid off her shoulder. And it made him fist his hands as his stomach clenched, and slam his eyes shut as she lifted her hand and tugged the jumper back into place.

Pressing his fingertips to his eyes, Marcus breathed out through his nose steadily as he pushed the image out of his mind. She was a child, he reminded himself angrily, a child and a _Gryffindor_. Pushing away from the table to return his books to the stacks, Marcus made the decision to unearth a bottle of something strong, and to take Cecilia Warrington up on the offer of a blowjob. But as he entered the stack that was home to the book on potions, he came a stand still. Katie was standing on tiptoe, returning a book to a shelf that was just out of reach. And as she reached up, her jumper rose to show a smooth section of skin at her lower back.

"Oh, come on!" she whispered, and stretched up farther.

When the book was plucked from her hand with no warning, Katie bit back a scream and spun around. Lifting her eyes in confusion, Katie inwardly blanched when saw who it was that towered over her. Dropping her eyes as she fisted the sleeves of her jumper in her hands, Katie fought the blush she could feel that was threatening to steal over her cheeks. A calloused hand gripped her chin, and Marcus forced Katie to lift her face and meet his eyes as he stared down at her with a frown on his face. She could feel the heat in her cheeks rising as he played his gaze over her face, before he snorted softly.

"Tell me something, Bell," he began casually. "Did you lose your spine when I caught you last year? Or has Wood finally broken your spirit?"

Katie jerked her face from his hand, and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What's that meant to mean, Flint?" she snapped, and a slow smirk of satisfaction crossed his face as she lifted her chin.

"You know what I mean, Bell. You showed me that you had claws last year, but it seems that you've since retracted them."

"Claws?" she asked slowly, and took a step back when Marcus took one towards her.

"Mm… claws. Last year, you would have stood up to Wood, rather than slink away from him after he yelled at you. He wouldn't have dared yell at you last year... And it would have been _you _throwing the Quaffle at him, not Johnson."

Katie's eyes widened in surprise, only to narrow with caution as Marcus took another step towards her. Marcus smiled slightly as Katie took one in retreat. For every step he took forwards, Katie took one in retreat, and when Katie bumped into the shelf of books, she let out a soft sound. Marcus smiled again, and taking a final step forward, he braced his hand against the shelf behind her and lowered his head slightly.

"So, tell me… where's that Gryff courage, Bell? Hmm?" Marcus ducked his head slightly, and lowered his voice. "Where are you hiding it, Katie?"

His voice, coupled with her name, darkened the blush that had stolen over her face, and Kate visibly swallowed.

"What are you talking about?" she whispered, and Marcus smirked slightly.

"You know what I'm talking about," he muttered, and cupping her chin again, he once more tilted her chin upwards.

He took his time studying her face in a way he hadn't been able to do so before. And when he looked into her eyes, he bit back another smile when he saw that her pupils were dilated as she stared up at him with wide-eyed innocence. He could feel the smoothness of her skin against his fingers as he angled her face up slightly, and there, hovering like mist over her skin, was that warm scent that he had smelled on her what felt a lifetime ago. And when Marcus deliberately brushed his thumb across the corner of her lips as he let her chin go, the blush that stained her cheeks went a long way to soothing the anger he had been carrying since watching the Gryffindor practice session.

"Get some sleep, Bell," he said quietly, and as he started to back away, that stubborn chin lifted, and she met his gaze squarely.

"Why?" she asked, and Marcus smirked.

"Because we play one another in two weeks," he said quietly. "And I really don't fancy having to catch you again, because you're too tired to stay on your broom."

He laughed softly at the look on her face as he turned to leave, and made his way back to his table to collect his things. And as he walked back towards his Common room, the amusement on Marcus' face faded, and he frowned. He'd had a lot to be angry about this year. His NEWTS. Diana. And a certain Scottish git, who was going to have to rethink his strategy if he wanted a chance at winning the House Cup. But mostly, he was angry that Katie's house-mates couldn't see how tired she really was; her fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with practice and late night astronomy classes. No... He knew what kept her awake. He still had nightmares too. And while her wit and mouth were as sharp as ever, the shadows under her eyes leant her a frailty that made him nervous. And feeling nervous because of that made him angrier than anything else.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

Authors note - I'm taking creative liberties with this chapter - it is set during PoA, and while the Dementors caused Harry to fall during the game with Hufflepuff in the book, I'm changing it so that Harry falls during the Slytherin game. Malfoy didn't get scratched by Buckbeak, so the game wasn't changed, even with the shocking weather. It sets it up for future chapters, so sit back, and enjoy. xx

The crack of thunder that split the sky was deafening loud, and the Slytherin team as a whole looked upwards as the lanterns swayed dangerously. Marcus shook his head, and then glanced at his team when Draco muttered under his breath about the weather.

"What was that, Malfoy?" he asked pleasantly, and when Draco shrank back in his seat under Marcus' knowing look, the rest of the team snickered.

"We've got Dementors surrounding Hogwarts, and you're worried about a little rain?" he asked, and when Draco's mouth tightened, Marcus snorted.

Another crack of thunder split the air, causing Draco to jump in his seat, and Marcus to exchange amused looks with Adrian.

"Buck up, Malfoy. A little rain never killed anyone," he said dryly, and he hid his own grin when the rest of the team snickered again at the younger boy.

Looking over his play sheets slowly, Marcus finally nodded and then looked up.

"Right then, lads, you all know what I expect of you today."

Marcus looked at each of his players, and saw that they were nodding. His eyebrows rose in challenge when he looked at Draco, and when the younger man gulped and then nodded frantically, Marcus smirked. Glancing down at his play sheets and then at the Gryffindor team roster that was pinned to the wall, he narrowed his eyes and then looked at his fellow Chasers.

"One more thing. Graham, I want you and Adrian to take out Spinnet. Use the abbreviated version of the Parkin's Pincer, and knock her out of the game. It's worked before, it'll work again."

Adrian Pucey nodded, but Graham Montague looked momentarily confused, and he voiced his concerns in a quiet voice.

"But... Johnson's the better aim, Marcus. Wouldn't it be better to take her out? Or to even take Wood out, like you did when you slammed him through the goals with the Bludger?"

Marcus shook his head even as he grinned at the memory, and he gestured to Gryffindor's roster.

"Nope. If we take Wood out, it's no contest, unless of course, Malfoy cock's up catching the Snitch... _again_," he said with a dark scowl at Draco. "We can only afford one real penalty in this game, and I'd rather it be for taking out a Chaser, than for taking out the Keeper. You take out Spinnet. As for Johnson? She's going to be too worried about Bell."

Grahams face twisted, but beside him, Adrian chuckled.

"You're a right bastard, Marcus. Brilliant plan, mate."

"I don't get it," Graham said, and Adrian snickered.

"We take Spinnet out, mate, and that leaves Bell and Johnson. Those two are as thick as thieves. Johnson's got a real Mummy's complex when it comes to Bell - if we take Spinnet out, and then make it _look_ like we are going to focus on Bell, Johnson's going to be too worried about her mate, to concentrate on scoring. It _is_ Bell's first game back since last year. Besides," he said, nodding towards James Derrick and Anton Bole who were the teams Beaters, "Those two are going to keep Johnson and Bell busy dodging Bludgers while you, me and Marcus keep scoring."

Graham smirked then, and nodded.

"Nice... It'll probably only take me ten minutes of shadowing Bell for her to fall again anyway... Game won!"

Marcus shook his head slowly, and leveled his players with a dark look.

"Just stick to the plan, lads. Once Spinnet is out of commission, you concentrate on putting as many Quaffel's through the hoops as you can."

"But Bell's hellfire on a broom, Marcus, you've said so yourself," Graham argued, and Marcus snorted.

"You leave Bell to me," he said quietly, and pinned a dark look on Graham when it looked like he was going to argue again. "I mean it, Montague. Just stick to the game plan."

When his team-mates nodded again, Marcus sat back and blew out a silent breath as he waited for the warning whistle to blow. A quick glance at his team allowed him finally to relax. He hadn't been sorted into Slytherin for nothing, but his house mates would knock him clean off his throne if they knew the truth. A sharp thud on the changing room's door proceeded Madam Hooch, and she told the other players to head to the mounting stand; she wanted a quiet word with the Captain. And once the room was clear, she looked at Marcus silently for a moment, before she nodded once.

"Please use the utmost of care today, Mr. Flint. I realize that there has always been a dangerous level of hostility between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and to me, that is what makes Quidditch so exciting. But it wasn't all that long ago that Madam Pomfrey was re-growing your spine. I have double checked the Bludgers myself - there will be _no_ rouges on my pitch today."

Her statement was a double message, and Marcus was left with no doubt as to what she _truly_ meant. He nodded and murmured his thanks as Madam Hooch swept from the room. Picking his broom up he left the change rooms, and set the wards to stop anyone else entering the rooms while the team was in the air. As he entered the tunnel that would lead to the Slytherin mounting stand, he felt the first fissure of excitement when the noise from the crowded stands either side of him echoed loudly. Marcus was so caught up in the anticipation, that he didn't pay attention to anything else, and when he collided with a warm body, the scowl that broke out over his face would have frightened Voldemort himself. A soft exclamation rang out, and the scowl on his face slowly faded when he realized who it was that he had bumped into.

"Flint."

Her voice was soft in the darkened corridor; Marcus watched as she brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, and then cursed silently when his fingers itched to repeat the gesture.

"Bell."

Katie nodded once, and she stepped around him. But as her shoulder brushed against him, Marcus spoke again.

"Did you get some sleep, Katie?"

Katie stopped when his voice slid through the dim light like a purr, and as Katie tilted her head back to look up at him, Marcus took a single step towards her. Katie immediately took one in retreat, even as her eyes locked with his. There was no fear in those blue eyes when Marcus looked into them, but there, lingering across the height of her cheekbones, was the faintest stain of color. Salazar be damned... If she wasn't afraid of him, it could only mean one thing. Marcus was unable to hide the grin that teased his lips, and to test his theory, he took another step towards Katie. She took a step back, and Marcus openly smirked.

"Are you sure you won't fall asleep in the air today?" he asked quietly, and when Katie shook her head, Marcus chuckled softly.

Glancing quickly over his shoulder, Marcus saw that they were totally alone in the darkened corridor; this game of step and retreat was fast becoming a favorite of his, and as Katie took another step away from him, Marcus slowly licked the corner of his lips. It only took another few steps to maneuver Katie backwards, before the draperies that surrounded the Slytherin stands parted at her back. Katie narrowed her eyes, and she tossed the long braid her hair was woven into over her shoulder. Her chin lifted, and even as her lips parted to speak, Marcus was taking the final step that he needed. Katie stepped backwards again, and the draperies swung shut behind Marcus, concealing them from prying eyes and affording them some privacy beneath the Slytherin stand.

"Flint, what in Godric's name are you doing?" Katie asked, and Marcus couldn't help grinning at the suspicion in her voice.

"We can't have anyone think we're trading team secrets now, can we?"he asked and Katie snorted.

"Please," she said, "like I'd trade team secrets with you. Not even Veritaserum could loosen my tongue, Flint," Katie scoffed, and Marcus snickered softly.

"And how do you know I didn't spike this morning's pumpkin juice?" he asked, and Katie wrinkled her nose.

"I can't see you stooping that low, Flint. Besides, Veritaserum is controlled by the Ministry, and how would _you_ get hold of it?" she asked, and Marcus solemnly tapped the Slytherin emblem on his chest in answer.

His face remained serious when Katie's jaw dropped; her eyes flew to his, and when he finally winked at her, she started laughing. Marcus' lower rumble joined hers a moment later, and he was rewarded with a blinding smile as Katie leaned against the wooden beams of the stand, and shook her head.

"Prat," she said, but there was no real heat in her voice, and Marcus shrugged.

"You were the one who believed me, Bell; you left yourself wide open for me to take the piss out of you - Slytherin, remember?" Marcus asked, and Katie snorted.

"Are you excited about flying today?" Katie asked, and Marcus shrugged.

"Yeah, it'll be good to play again," he murmured. "And you?"

Katie bit the corner of her mouth, before she looked up at him.

"It's been a while," she admitted slowly. "And add in the Dementors, and the weather and this game is going to be one for the Quidditch History books."

Marcus felt the muscle in his jaw twitch as Katie crossed her arms and shook her head.

"They aren't allowed to enter the school, Bell," he said quietly, and Katie shook her head again.

"It's not that, Flint," she said finally, and when she looked up at him, her mouth twisted wryly before she looked away from him. "The Dementors, while as scary as anything, are there to protect us. Besides, Professor Dumbledore told us to stay away from them, and I'm not stupid enough to go looking for one."

Marcus tilted his head slightly, before he spoke again.

"Believe me, Bell, I know what's bothering you."

It was the darker tone that his voice had taken on that had Katie's lips parting slightly as she looked back up at him. Goddess, he was tall, and the knowing look in his eyes froze Katie to the spot. His hand rose, and when the calloused skin of his fingertips brushed across her cheek, Katie felt a chill skate down her spine as he slowly tucked a loose section of her hair behind her ear.

"You won't fall today, Bell."

His voice was rich with promise, a deep whisper that brushed over her like a caress. Katie's breath stuttered out slowly as Marcus' thumb brushed slowly down the carotid artery in her throat. Her breath hitched, a sound that was deafeningly loud to her ears as her pulse danced erratically under his touch. It was the weight of the heavy leather wrist guard as it brushed her chin that brought Katie back to her senses, and she twisted away from Marcus with a small gasp. Marcus simply smiled, and Katie blushed at the knowledge she saw flicker across his face.

"See you out there," he murmured, and the green and silver drapes behind him parted, and he was gone.

XxXxXxX

"Welcome to Quidditch! I'm your commentator, Lee Jordan! The Quidditch pitch has three goals at each end. The Chasers throw the Quaffle and try to put it through the hoops to score. Watch out for the Bludgers! These are charmed balls that can knock you off your broomstick! Two Beaters on each team try to keep them away. Remember, when the Snitch appears, it releases Speed Rings that will help the Seeker fly faster. Today, we're watching Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, in a rematch of last year's Quidditch House Cup! So who will win? Let's sit back and see!"

Katie smiled as Lee's voice echoed across the pitch, and when she glanced up at the Gryffindor stands, she could only just make him out through the driving rain. Adjusting the goggles that covered her eyes, Katie slowly rolled her shoulders, and then grinned up at George when he nudged her shoulder with his. She mounted her broom and when she felt it vibrate with magic beneath her, Katie exhaled once, a single, shuddering breath that calmed the rest of her nerves, and gave her the boost of courage she needed to lightly kick off the ground and hover as she waited for Madam Hooch to start the game. The rain was cold against her face, and as it soaked into her Quidditch uniform, Katie firmly told herself that the chill on her skin due to the rain, and not the fact that Marcus was watching her through lowered lashes. It was only when he lowered his own goggles that Katie could finally relax, and as Madam Hooch strode across the pitch, Katie took a final deep breath.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you… on my mark," Madam Hooch said, and she crouched beside the box that housed the balls.

She released the Bludgers first, and as they darted back and forth within the circle of players, Katie's eyes flew towards Marcus before she could help herself. His eyes were on her again, and as the Bludgers flew upwards, Katie's attention was dragged back into the game as Madam Hooch held up the Snitch on the palm of her hand. The Snitch's golden wings unfurled, and the ball hovered for a moment before disappearing into the gloom. But Katie's attention was on Madam Hooch and as she held up the Quaffle, Katie tightened her grip on her broom. Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air, and Katie kicked off hard, as the players darted into the circle to try to grab the Quaffle. Game on.

The driving wind and rain, coupled with playing against Slytherin made the game brutal from the onset. The Slytherin team scored first, followed by two goals from Gryffindor. Back and forth it went, until they were level again - fifty all. And when Katie caught the Quaffle and flew towards the goal, she ducked Graham Montague's hand, and threw the Quaffle as hard as she could. A brilliant smile split her face when it went through the hoops, and she flew back towards the center of the pitch as Slytherin's Keeper Miles Bletchley shouted out to Montague. Katie's attention was on the hand signals from Oliver, and she nodded once to her Captain, and flew towards Angelina. But as she turned her broom into the formation Oliver had signaled, Katie's jaw dropped in shock as she watched Adrian Pucey fly up beside Alicia on the left, while Montague flew beside her on the right. Before Alicia could do fly upwards to get away from them, she was forced to fly into the side of Gryffindor's Quidditch stand, where she became tangled within the red and gold drapes. The crowd gasped as Alicia fell to the cushioning sand below, where she lay gasping for breath. Her arm was obviously broken, considering the angle it was bent at.

_"You won't fall today, Bell." _

Marcus' voice echoed in her mind, and Katie's eyes snapped towards him where he hovered on the other side of the pitch. His attention was on his Chasers, and as Katie watched him, she saw his hand signals before the other two Chasers nodded and split up. The game continued, but Katie was barely able to concentrate as she ducked a Bludger, and flew towards the goals. Had what Marcus said under the Slytherin stands been meant to reassure her, or had it been a warning? The thought had barely cleared her mind when a foot viciously connected with her ribs. Katie gasped as searing pain radiated across her side. Her broom spun out of control for a moment, causing Katie to drop the Quaffle as she grasped desperately at her broom; sheer will gave Katie the strength to pull her broom back under control. That, and the determination that she wouldn't give Graham bloody Montague the satisfaction of causing her to fall as well. Her broom finally under control, Katie hung on for dear life and lay prone across the smooth wood, as she tried to breathe through the pain of the fresh bruising she could feel blooming along her side. She could see Montague in the corner of her eye, and the smirk of satisfaction that twisted his lips caused her blood to boil.

Nausea fought her growing anger, and Katie slowly straightened up. And as she looked across the pitch, she saw that Marcus was hovering about three feet above her; his jaw was clenched, and as Katie fought back the graying edge of her vision that the pain had caused, Marcus angled his broom away from her. Her anger finally won, and Katie tossed her head and turning her broom, she swooped across the pitch with fire in her belly, and murder in her eyes. It took a further twenty minutes for Katie to come into possession of the Quaffle again, and as she flew towards the goals, she saw Marcus swooping towards her from the left, while Montague was closing in on her right.

The goals were just ahead of her, and Katie made a split second decision. With Montague and Flint trying to pin her in, her chances of making it closer to the goals was slim. Pulling her hand back, she twisted her broom and threw the Quaffle as hard as she could. In the short distance it took to connect to her intended target, the Quaffle hummed with the force of her throw; Montague cried out in pain and grabbed at his face as blood spurted out of his broken nose. Katie let her satisfaction show on her face when she looked at him, and she smirked when his howl of "Bitch!" rang out.

Katie looked to her left and locked eyes with Marcus. For a split second, it looked like Marcus was going to grin at her. However his attention was grabbed by the screams that filled the air. And as Katie looked around wildly, she saw that Marcus was looking upwards. Following his gaze, she saw a body falling through the air, hundreds of feet above the pitch. A body that was tangled in red and gold Quidditch robes. Past and present tangled, and for a long moment Katie thought she was seeing into the past as she swayed on her broom in confusion. But when a hand roughly grabbed hers, she held onto Marcus' hand tightly as she finally made out that it was Harry Potter falling through the clouds towards the ground. And close behind him, closing in for the kill, were twenty odd Dementors.

"Merlin... _down_, everyone get down!"

Marcus' shout scattered the players nearby, and Katie angled her broom into a dive as a Dementor swooped over her head. If she had thought her skin was chilled due to the rain earlier, she was wrong. Her skin immediately went numb as ice encased the handle of her broom. Fighting to keep her broom level, Katie swung from her broom only to fall straight onto the ground when she was tackled from behind. Her breath left her lungs in a pained whoosh as the body over hers pressed her down into the ground, and a hand that was encased in leather covered her eyes. The howl of a Dementor echoed in her ears as it swooped them, and Katie squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't need to see, however, to know who had tackled her. Broom oils, rain soaked skin and sweat - she knew his scent from when he had tucked her hair behind her ear earlier, and when he abruptly stood up and dragged her up from the ground, Katie didn't question it. She let Marcus pull her after him as he ran towards the Quidditch stands, while the Dementors flew across the pitch.

It was only when she was pulled into the tunnels under the stands that Marcus let go of her hand. And in letting go, Katie was pulled into Angelina's arms and held tightly as the Professors drew their wands and began to cast the Patronus Charm to repel the foul creatures that had interrupted their game. A game that was over. Because standing in front of Marcus was Draco Malfoy. The younger boy was shaking like a leaf; his skin was as white as fresh snow, and his eyes were wide with fear as his breath escaped in icy puffs. He could barely speak through the chattering of his teeth as Marcus held him steady by the shoulders and demanded to know if he was all right. Malfoy was unable to speak, but when he held his hand out to Marcus, Katie shuddered, and silently thanks Morgana that the game was finished. Because there, held tightly in Malfoy's hand, was the Snitch.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys, I'm really sorry for the delay between updates. My husband and son were involved in a rather serious car accident earlier this year, and getting them back up and on their feet has taken all of my time and energy. I can't even promise regular updates now, as I work in retail and we are fast approaching Christmas, (yikes!) but I wanted you to all know that I haven't abandoned this fic. I just haven't had the time to do any writing. I'm hoping I can keep plotting this out and getting some done, but please continue to be patient with me. I hope you're all well, and that you enjoy the offering. xxx

7.

Practice was a long, grueling two hours of cold rain and unforgiving wind. Of fingers becoming numb within leather gloves, and water streaming down under her cloak and along her spine like icy fingers. The weather matched Oliver's mood like peas in a pod; he was raging and tearing at his players, much like the wind had. His voice rose and fell with each pacing turn he made in the changing rooms. If the Dementors hadn't knocked Harry out of the game, it would have been an extremely tight win against Slytherin. It had been seventy to one hundred and thirty in Slytherins favor when Malfoy had caught the Snitch, and now, two days later, the Gryffindor team was paying for it. Katie shivered within her Quidditch robes as Oliver raged on about winning the House Cup this year, and how he expected better of his players. In the end, she closed her eyes in sheer exhaustion and slid down the wall. Katie lowered her head to her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs for balance as she tried to find some hidden reserve of energy; she blocked Oliver out, his voice becoming a slightly annoying, droning noise in the background.

Oliver turned around, and saw that Angelina's and the twin's attention wasn't on him. He near screamed in frustration, his hands rising to fist his own hair. Taking several steps towards them, he pulled up short when he saw Katie and a peculiar look crossed his face at the bedraggled picture that she made. Her hair was a long braid of soaking wet weight, and the ends were dripping water onto the floor in a steady fashion. Her eyes were closed, her face pale and pinched with both cold and fatigue. And as he stared down at her, he was reminded that Angelina had threatened him with not playing for the Gryffindor team over his attitude. And as Katie started shivering within her wet robes, Oliver swallowed hard and finally stopped shouting.

"Look... great game. Really," he tried, and then he sighed. "Let's hit the showers, and get some rest, all right?"

He turned for the showers, and tried to ignore the muttering that broke out behind him as he entered the boys section of the changing rooms.

"Bugger this," Angelina muttered from above her, and Katie lifted her head when a hand gently shook her shoulder.

She looked up at Angelina, who sighed and crouched down in front of Katie. Smoothing her hand over Katie's head, Angelina smiled slightly.

"Come on, Katie. With Alicia in detention, we might as well use the baths back at the castle; it'll give you a chance to soak, and for the oil to work on that bruise," Angelina murmured, and Katie nodded slowly as Angelina helped her to numb feet.

They walked through soaking rain and near darkness, and by the time they made it to the fourth floor bathroom, Katie's lips were almost blue. It took Angelina three times to bite out the password to the portrait that guarded the doors satisfaction, and the two girls slipped inside the bathroom and they dropped their Quidditch bags to the floor with a thud. Katie's slender frame was wracked with shudders as she wrapped her arms around her body in a vain attempt to warm herself, and when a bathroom elf appeared, the tiny creature shook its little head at the sight the girls made. But it banished the girl's bags back to the Gryffindor tower with a snap of its fingers, and the water in the opulent bath filled instantly.

Angelina mumbled the locking password through chattering teeth and numb lips as she systematically began to undress. Wet leather hit the tiles with a dull thudding sound and vanished into the laundry room. And when the heavy whisper of fabric slapped against the tiles, that too vanished as both girls methodically stripped off soaked Quidditch uniforms. A pile of clean, dry clothes appeared on the bench that lined the room, and there, sitting on top of Angelina's pile, was a bottle. Angelina fumbled for it, and when the girls slipped into the steaming water a moment later, sensation returned to their numb limbs in a painful tingle. Angelina managed to work the stopper out of the bottle, and under the running water from one of the faucets, she let four drops escape the bottle, before she firmly corked it and then settled down as the oil began to spread and work its magic.

Moments drifted past unnoticed as they slowly stopped shivering in the heated water. The heady scent of sandalwood slowly filled the air, and just under that warm scent, the spicier scent of black pepper. The ingredients for the oil were a trade secret between the three Gryffindor Chasers. Being female meant being targeted by the bigger male chasers, and the Slytherins were the worst; matches could leave you aching for days. Which was why Alicia's talent at Herbology was so appreciated – the chaser had had an epiphany one day in Herbology class, listening to Professor Sprout lecture about Piper Nigrum. Piper Nigrum - more commonly known as black pepper - wasn't only just used to make food taste better; it also had many medicinal properties. The most common uses included stimulating the circulation and muscle aches and pains. The girls also applied it directly to the worst of their bruises and it didn't hurt that it smelled nice.

Alicia had missed this practice due to a detention with Professor Snape. The fiery Chaser had hexed Graham Montague for what he had done not only to her, but for also what he had done to Katie during the game… only to be caught doing so. Katie smiled at the reason why Alicia had been caught – the memory of Montague being hit with the Bat Bogey Hex was one she would treasure. He had shrieked, shattering that cool Slytherin facade, and Katie had leaned against Lee as she laughed helplessly at the Slytherin boy while his bogey's had attacked his face. Even some of the other Slytherin' had been fighting back laughter as Montague fled.

Still, Katie would have cheerfully traded places with Alicia, if it meant not feeling the colorful bruise Graham-bloody-Montague had given her during the rough and tumble game they had played. But then again, lobbing the Quaffle at him and breaking his nose went a long way towards payment for the bruising that covered the lower half of her ribcage from where he had kicked her and almost re-broken one of her ribs.

"I swear, Oliver's going too far," Angelina muttered, breaking Katie out of her daydream, and Katie rolled her head along the lip of the bath so she could see her friend.

"Do you want me to remind you of this conversation when you become Captain next year?" Katie asked dryly, and then giggled when Angelina splashed water at her.

"We won't get to play Quidditch next year anyway," Angelina grumbled, and when Katie frowned, Angelina sat up and motioned for Katie to turn around.

"The Tri-Wizard tournament?" she prompted as she began to unravel Katie's braid Handing Katie the tie that held her hair together, Angelina combed her fingers through Katie's long hair. Katie sighed as she rested her arms against the lip of the bath, and rested her chin on her crossed arms.

"That's right. The other schools are coming here, aren't they?" she asked, and when Angelina nodded, Katie shrugged. "We can probably still play, Angie. Has Professor Dumbledore said anything about it?"

Angelina shook her head, and turning away from Katie, she drew her hand up her arm as she began to wash.

"Only that we are hosting the tournament, and that two other schools will be coming here. I think that it's Durmstrang and Beauxbatons respectively that are coming. Should be interesting." Glancing at Katie, Angelina smiled when she saw that Katie's eyes were closed.

"Come on... let's get back up to Gryffindor so you can go to bed. You look tired," Angelina said affectionately.

"In a minute," Katie said as she waved her hand slightly.

Her eyes remained closed as Angelina climbed out the water and padded behind the lattice screens that circled the sides of the bath. The bath was quiet, the silence of the room broken by the whisper of fabric as Angelina dried and dressed, and the occasional soft splash as Katie shifted within the heated water. The comfortable silence was maintained between the girls, until the sound of the Portrait opening had Katie sitting up in fright and Angelina swearing softly. And when Marcus Flint walked in a moment later, he stopped short at the sight of her. They stared at each other for a long moment, during which Katie tightened her crossed arms over her chest, and Marcus tilted his head to the side. Katie sank deeper into the water as she curled her shoulders forwards, and she blushed furiously as Marcus took a step towards the bath. Before he could speak, however, the sharp tip of a wand dug into his lower back, causing him to swear softly.

"I _locked_ that door, Flint," Angelina hissed from behind him, and Marcus raised his hands slightly.

"It opened for me," he muttered as Angelina slipped around him, and rested her wand tip an inch above his crotch.

"I _locked_ that door," she repeated, and Marcus scowled down at her.

"That door's tricky, Johnson," he spat. "If you don't say the password correctly the first time, it won't lock while you are in here."

They locked eyes, and then Marcus smirked slightly as he deliberately looked down to where her wand was resting.

"Kinky, Johnson; I didn't know you were one for that type of thing," he murmured, and then winced when Angelina muttered a small stinging hex that bordered on painful.

"Turn around, and close your bloody eyes!" Angelina spat, and Marcus licked his bottom lip carefully as he stared at the tiled wall in front of him. And when her wand tip dug into his lower back again, Marcus stayed still.

"Katie. Go," Angelina said sharply, and Marcus squeezed his eyes shut and cursed himself silently when he heard the water in the bath slosh as Katie hoisted herself out of the bath, followed by the slap of wet feet on the tiles. His hands clenched into fists when he heard the hastily muttered drying spell followed by the rustle of fabric. He remained motionless when the sharp tip of Angelina's wand dug further into his lower back and her voice whispered near his ear.

"If people suddenly start talking about Katie and me, and how we were involved in some sick sort of Ménage à trois, Flint, I _will_ hex your cock off. Are we clear?" Angelina asked with deadly sincerity, and Marcus swallowed hard as he nodded.

"Crystal," he murmured.

Angelina's wand dropped away from his back, and her footsteps echoed as the door opened. Unable to help himself, Marcus looked towards the door just in time to see Angelina walk through it. His attention wasn't on the older Gryffindor, however, and Katie looked back at him. She managed a tiny smile, but it trembled as he stared at her, and she slipped away without a word. His breath whooshed out of his lungs as the door swung shut and Marcus sagged. It took him a few moments to remember to clearly speak the password, and finally undress. Slipping into the hot water, Marcus ducked under and then slicked his hair back as he sat up and leaned against the lip of the bath.

Breathing in deeply, he winced when the scent of the water filled his nostrils, leaving him wondering what bath oil they had been using. It was a scent that he had come to recognize on Katie. Closing his eyes, he prepared to relax, only to curse when what he'd seen filled his mind. Her hair had streamed down over her back and shoulders in a thick wave of blonde so dark, it had appeared brown. Her skin was the color of creamed honey, with a light spattering of freckles across her left shoulder. Smooth and creamy, an image that clashed with the black bruising that spread across her right side.

He'd seen the way she had crossed her arms over her chest, in a vain attempt to conceal her modesty. Only problem with that was the fact he had been able to see straight through the water, and being at the height advantage, he'd seen quite a bit. Her curves were subtle and her legs went on forever. And try as he might, the image of her standing there with water sluicing down her sides wasn't one he was going to forget any time soon. And those bloody eyes! Tired, and when she had seen him, filled with anxiety. The innocence in them, as she had looked back at him before slipping away. She'd worn a pale purple dressing gown, and her hair had been hastily tugged free of the collar, leaving it to tumble around her face and shoulders in a damp mass of tangled confusion

Shaking his head, Marcus willed the images out of his mind. He tried to will away what the creamy skin of her shoulders and back looked like. He already knew that if he laid his hands on that creamy skin, the contrast between his skin and hers would be a stark one. And as that picture formed in his mind, he desperately tried not to wonder what it would be like to feel her skin under his lips as he ran his hands down her sides.

The thought, however, wouldn't leave his mind. He tried not to wonder what her skin would taste like, as she stretched out naked before him. He tried not to think about how her hair would feel, tangled around his fingers as he nipped at the nape of her neck. He tried not to think about those long legs, or how soft the skin of her inner thighs would be as she wrapped them around his waist. Rubbing his hands briskly over his face with a groan, Marcus swore eloquently when he found out just what her skin would taste like, when he licked the bath water off his lips. Spicy. Warm. And as the taste of it settled on his tongue, Marcus swallowed hard. Opening his eyes, he sat up and took a deep breath to calm himself. She was fifteen years old. Innocent. _Untouched_. And when that thought entered his mind and tangled with the image of her standing naked and shaking before him, he rubbed his hands across his face and groaned again. Staring off into the distance, he came to the realization that thinking about her was far more dangerous than what Angelina had threatened him with.


	8. Chapter 8

8

For several long days, Katie waited for rumors to swirl around Hogwarts about what had happened in the bathroom. But they never did. There were no hushed whispers, no nasty murmurs. Nothing. It seemed that Angelina's threat had worked. Even so, Katie found herself in a constant state of agitation, while waiting for Marcus to drop the other shoe and brain her with it as he was so fond of doing. In direct contrast to his behavior with her on the pitch, Marcus had reverted to form - his taunts were as cruel as always - derogatory remarks about her looks, cruel amusement in regard to her Quidditch abilities, and frank disbelief in her talents as a witch. But nothing about what he'd seen that night.

Then there were the meals they shared in the Great Hall. Katie kept her eyes on her plate at all times now. Marcus had taken to sitting so that he could watch her silently as he ate. It had gotten to the point that every time she looked up lately he was nearby. Watching her. Dissecting her with that cool, cool gaze that he always seemed to aim in her direction. Katie stared out across the library silently as she thought back over dinner. She was obsessing about what each look meant as she worried her lower lip instead of completing her potions homework.

When she caught herself sighing, she huffed, threw down her quill, and stomped into a dark stack to look for a book on the possible side effects of taking an antidote when poisoned. Damn Snape! She had better things to do with her weekend! Trailing long, slim fingers along the spines of the books before her, Katie tilted her head to the side and muttered softly under her breath. She didn't think her surly Potions master would appreciate her turning in a parchment saying that the side effects of taking an antidote when poisoned was that you bloody-well lived! Grasping the book in her hand, Katie tugged it off the shelf, only to see a familiar head of dark hair on the other side of the stack through the gap the book had left. Marcus' dry drawl reached her ears, and Katie felt her face flame red when she realized what he was talking quietly to Adrian Pucey about. Turning silently, she went to walk away, only to freeze when she heard Angelina's name being spoken in hushed tones. Her feet rooted to the spot, Katie clenched her jaw and scowled darkly at the two Slytherins when she heard what was said.

"I'd love a go with Angelina Johnson," Adrian said quietly, and Marcus snorted.

"She'd hex your balls off, Ades, before you could bend her over the nearest flat surface," he said, and Adrian muffled his laughter behind his hand.

"Maybe so, Marcus," he said finally. "But I reckon she'd be a real fire breather in the sack. Gag her, and she'd be perfect. Circe, that _arse_ of hers... I'd be half inclined to give my fortune up if it meant being able to fuck it."

Marcus snickered and shifted against the shelves he was sitting against as he read through some books on the more obscure types of Potions.

"That would be an adventure, for sure," Marcus murmured softly. "Get past her guard dogs, and any hex she managed to send your way, and you could spend several hours in debauchery with her."

"Would you do her?" Adrian asked, and Marcus snorted as he glanced up from the book he was looking through.

"Nah, she's not my type. I like them with a little less attitude, and more of an idea as to what to do with their mouths other than sprout off Gryffindor idealism's."

Adrian slapped his hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter as Marcus grinned at him.

"What about the other Chaser? Spinnet?" Adrian asked after his laughter had died away, and Marcus snorted.

"Please, she's _worse_ than Johnson. Did you _see_ what she did to Montague after the Quidditch match? Imagine how she'd react if you broke things off with her! I like my cock firmly where it is, thanks, mate."

Adrian slapped his hand over his mouth again, but his eyes danced with unholy glee as Marcus smirked at him.

"And Bell?" he managed a moment later, and Marcus stilled in the middle of putting the book he held back on the shelf.

"Little young for my tastes, mate," he said finally, and Adrian tilted his head slightly, and studied Marcus through golden eyes.

"You wouldn't fuck her if the opportunity presented itself?" he asked in disbelief, and when Marcus silently shook his head, Adrian leaned closer to him.

"Then what was it that made you threaten Montague with... What was it that you said again, Marcus? That you'd gut him like a fucking flobber worm if he tried that sort of stunt on the Quidditch pitch again? What was that about, my friend? Because I'm not the only inquiring mind," Adrian asked quietly, and Marcus' eyes narrowed.

"It's called rough conduct, Adrian, and if you weren't too busy thinking about fucking Johnson's delectable arse, you'd know that. I'm sick to death of losing to the Gryffs, and if Montague had unseated Bell, we would have lost for that reason alone," he snarled.

Adrian sat up slightly, his eyes glittering in the dim light as he smiled slowly.

"You know, Marcus, that argument would be all the more believable, if you'd told him that the day we played against them, rather than two days later."

Marcus' jaw clenched, and Adrian leaned forward slightly. The two Slytherins stared at each other for a long, tense moment, until Adrian finally lowered his eyes.

"All right. Rough conduct it is then. Are you sure there was no other reason?" Adrian asked quietly, and Marcus snorted derisively.

"Please. If it wasn't for that hair, you'd think she was a boy from behind. You'd break her in half the first time you fucked her. I'm not one for sticks in my bed, nor am I one for pure little virgins. Give me a woman with something to hang onto; one who knows her way around the bedroom, and who knows when to shut up any day."

His callous words caused a cold sweat to break out on Katie's face. They also served for her feet to start moving, and Katie took full advantage of it. Moving silently, she gathered her things up, stuffed them into her bag, and fled. Tears of humiliation threatened to spill down her cheeks, only to be ruthlessly swallowed back as she ran up the staircase towards Gryffindor Tower. Back in the stacks, Marcus glared at Adrian, who raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Marcus… we've been friends for a long time, haven't we?" he asked finally, and Marcus looked away. "I never said anything to anyone about you and Diana," he continued, and then laughed softly when Marcus' face whipped back towards him.

"You were careful, Marcus. You both were. Nevertheless, you forgot the silencing spells one night, and I got curious. Imagine my surprise when I saw who it was climbing out of your bed. I didn't know whether to applaud you or strangle you. But you never looked at another while you and Diana were fucking."

Marcus looked down at his hands as Adrian tilted his head.

"Until now," Adrian said softly, and he had the satisfaction of seeing his friends gaze snap back to his.

They stared at each other for a long, tense moment, until Marcus narrowed his eyes.

"You're out of your mind, Ades," he said finally, and Adrian's face twisted with anger.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Flint" he said coldly. "Don't insult _me_. You want to play it that way, _fine_. Nevertheless, I know you - remember that. Bell's gotten under your skin, and you, my friend, love a good prickle."

Marcus shook his head again, causing Adrian to snort.

"Merlin, Marcus, I'm not blind! You've always been extremely careful to hide your true self, which I get. _I get it, Marcus_. We're in Slytherin for Circe's sake! If it was known how you truly felt about her, you'd be torn to shreds. And in some way, I get _why_ her. Gryffindor. Untouchable. But... why her? And if you insult me by lying again, I'm liable to hex you within an inch of your life" Adrian warned, and Marcus blew out a deep breath as he dragged his hands down over his face as Adrian looked at him expectantly.

"I don't know," he muttered finally. "Do you think I _like_ feeling like this, Adrian?" he demanded, and then shook his head as he laughed bitterly and tilted his head back in defeat. "Believe me, friend, _I don't_. I've done _everything _in my power to stop thinking about her. To stop looking at her. To stop wanting... I've sought out the company of other witches... I've _fucked_ other witches. _Nothing_ works. Not the finest Cognac... She's still there... This mere slip of a girl has me in the palm of her hand, and she doesn't even know it... I want to fuck her, and break her down and… and..."

Marcus pressed his fingers against his eyes as his voice trailed away and shook his head as Adrian stared at him silently. Blowing out a harsh breath, Marcus finally spoke again.

"I feel sick, Ades," he said softly. "Sick and twisted, and... and I dream about her _every_ fucking night. I don't know whether I want to kiss her or kill her, just to destroy this hold she has over me, because it's terrifying the way she makes me feel. It's humiliating and it's exhilarating, and I feel so fucking alive whenever we're together. And she isn't like that, I know she isn't. She isn't doing this deliberately... I see the way she looks... she watches me too, and it's written all over her fucking face. She feels it as much as I do and it's like this...this... it's a connection, and it's been there since I caught her, and I feel like I'm losing my mind, Ades... she's just a kid," Marcus' voice trailed away again, and his shoulders slumped in defeat as Adrian stared at him in surprise.

"What do you know about her?" Adrian asked finally, and Marcus looked up in shock.

"Her heritage, Marcus," Adrian said patiently. "Her blood lines, her parents. Where does she live? Who are her friends?" he added quietly, and Marcus swallowed slightly when Adrian turned glittering eyes towards him.

"She's a Half-blood," Marcus finally murmured.

"And the rest?" Adrian asked, and Marcus shrugged as he picked a speck of link from his trousers.

"She's fifteen."

It was the tone in his voice that had Adrian sighing as he looked at Marcus.

"That's only four years younger than you, Marcus. It's not like you are in your forties, and having fantasies about her. By the time she's of age, you'll only be twenty one yourself. That doesn't make you a pedophile, so stop thinking that it does. Now... do you _want_ to know about her?" Adrian asked quietly, and then smiled slightly when he saw Marcus' eyes narrow. "I'll have the information for you by the end of the week then," he said, and Marcus stood up and dusted his pants off.

"The cost?" he finally muttered, and Adrian laughed softly as he rose to his feet.

"Oh, I'll do it for the pleasure of watching you fuck it all up, Marcus," he said finally, and walked away whistling cheerfully, as Marcus stared after him.

XxXxXxX

Marcus sat in the darkened Slytherin stands on the Quidditch pitch, with his cloak wrapped tightly around himself. His head was tipped back as he stared up at the night sky, and the figure that was moving across it with a speed and grace that she shouldn't have been in possession of at her age. She really was a thorn in his side - a constant thought in the back of his mind. Adrian had been right - he mostly alternated between wanting to yank her out and enjoying the prickle of pain she brought. Mostly. He'd stopped enjoying the thread they shared three weeks ago, when he stopped being able to read her.

Something had changed between them. Something had changed the dynamics between them. No more shy looks and colour highlighting an innocent face when she blushed. Nowadays, she looked through him. Ignored him. Sat with her back towards the Slytherin table. Generally pretended that he didn't exist. Except for the one time, he had been close enough in a packed hallway to stare down into her eyes. That day stood out in his mind with crystal clarity.

Three classes had joined in the hallway, creating a momentary crush of students. Laughter, chatter and grumbles mingled in the mêlée, as the crush stopped the steady flow of students. When he'd looked down, he found the girl who occupied his mind standing next to him with her back turned. And when he'd forcibly turned towards her, he'd let himself become plastered to Katie's back like toffee on an apple. He had reached out and brushed her inner wrist with his thumb, the movement of his skin on hers had teased a small gasp out of her as she twisted slightly and tilted her head back to look up at who had touched her. Marcus had pushed his shirtsleeves up during his DADA class, and the motion of her head had her hair slithering down over his bare arm and dangerous thoughts filling his mind before he could stop them.

Tilting his head, he looked down at her, his eyes tracking her features when their eyes met. Being so close to her, he had seen the icy shutters that had come down over her eyes - icy and indifferent. But before she had cloaked herself in ice, he had also seen the hurt that had flooded her features. Hurt that she had directed straight up at him. Pain and humiliation had flooded those pretty blue eyes, and left him feeling bewildered as to why she had looked at him like that. Marcus had closed his hand around her wrist as they stared at each other. But his touch had galvanised Katie into action, and she wrenched away from him with a soft sound and pushed her way through the student. She hadn't run from him, but it had been damn close to that. Left behind in the crush of chattering students, he'd only been able to watch her hunch her shoulders and lower her head as she disappeared around the corner.

Marcus watched Katie fly in a double eight pattern around the goals. He could feel the tic in his jaw, as the muscle clenched in time with the frustrated beat in his body as he watched the tight pattern formation that she was flying. Adrian's voice echoed in his head; his friend had been true to his word even though he was still angry that Marcus had kept this from him - Marcus now knew everything there was to know about Katherine Bell. Her father was Henry Bell. Henry Bell was born to Muggle parents, and had been sorted into Ravenclaw during his Hogwarts days. He was a gifted wizard in Charms and Transfigurations, a talent that he had passed onto his daughter.

He had gone on to run the pub in Leigh-on-Sea that his parents had built and owned. And it was in this pub, that he met Amelia Delaney. Amelia Delaney had attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, as had her family for the last four generations. Rather than graduate and marry, Amelia had travelled with her parents blessings. A gifted artist, she had excelled at school and she excelled in the Muggle world as an artist. Her family's bloodlines had remained pure, until she had met Henry. Over pints and seaside dinners, they had fallen in love and had married twelve months after meeting. Two years later, Katie had been born.

Her birth went a long way to mending fences with Amelia's parents, who had been shocked at the speed with which their level-headed daughter had married. They had never turned Henry away because of his heritage though. Henry was the voice of reason in the family, the one who managed the pub, the books, and the modest income the family enjoyed. Amelia was the laughter, a woman who lived life with love and pure enjoyment. And within Katie, her parents blended their values and created a young girl who knew when to be serious, and when to let loose a peal of laughter that came from a place of happiness. Katie spent her free time helping at the pub, splashing in the sea, and safe within a family who loved her. She travelled to France to see her Grandparents, and spent a lot of time with Lee Jordan during the hols, due to having grown up within a Quaffle's throw of one another as children. She was well liked, admired, and had numerous friends who would agree that with Katie, there were no pretences.

Marcus knew all about pretences - he had lived with them in Slytherin for the last eight years. Friendship came at a price in his house, one you never could be sure of what you would end up paying. His fellow house mates both feared and respected him, but only two had gained his complete trust - Diana and Adrian. His trust was returned, his respect warranted. Pushing up from his seat, Marcus glanced at Katie once more before he made his way down the stairs. And as he started back towards the castle, he firmly pushed all thoughts of Katie Bell to the back of his mind. There wasn't much of the school year left and when it was over, he could let go of any ideas his mind wanted to form about her and concentrate on his Quidditch.

He could concentrate on his games, and his life, and not let thoughts about creamy skin and innocent eyes cloud his every waking moment. He could seek out the witches he was used too, rather than wondering just how dark a shade of blue her eyes could turn if her body was under his hands. He could stop twisting her image up with Cecilia Warrington's, when the other witch was on her knees in front of him and sucking his cock like it was a sugar quill. And he could finally stop feeling as if Aurors were going to appear any moment, and drag him off to Azkaban for thinking about her in any manner at all.

"_What you now need to decide, Marcus, is do you want this girl on a deeper level, or is it the taste of forbidden that you crave? Is it because she's in Gryffindor? Or does it go further than that? Can you wait? Will you still want her once you've left Hogwarts? Will you still want her in two years time, when she is of age? Are you willing to risk everything for her? Is she worth it?"_

Marcus scowled as Adrian's soft voice echoed once more. That was a series of questions he didn't want to answer. Glancing over his shoulder once more, Marcus shook his head. Graduation could not come fast enough. And when it did, he would put a whole continent between them. He would move on, and forget about her. It was as simple as that.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Professor Snape waved his wand over the beaker that sat in front of him, and when a large plume of putrid blue smoke appeared, he raised scornful eyes and tsked quietly.

"I seriously doubt that your antidote will cure an ill person, Mr. Erickson, but I hope a P for Poor will remedy that."

Snape's dark eyes scanned the class room, and when they landed on Katie, she swallowed hard when he nodded at her. Carefully picking up the beaker of antidote she had brewed, Katie made her way to the front of the Potions classroom, and set it down gently in front of Snape. He raised an eyebrow, when after waving his wand, the correct plume of emerald-green smoke escaped her beaker. Glancing down at the roll of parchment that contained the essay, Snape looked at Katie and lifted his wand to grade her. A knock on the door interrupted him before he could, as Professor McGonagall walked into the class room.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Professor Snape," Professor McGonagall said quietly as she handed him a folded piece of parchment.

Snape flicked Professor McGonagall a look of annoyance, but he read the parchment nonetheless. It was only when he had finished reading it, that he looked back at Katie and raised his wand. A bright red E for Exceeds Expectations appeared on the top of her essay, and when Katie's eyes flew to meet his, she was shocked when she saw a brief flicker of sympathy pass across his face.

"You surprise me, Miss. Bell, well done. The Headmaster wishes to see you."

Katie nodded in surprise, and then glanced at her work bench.

"One of your fellow students will pack your belongings, Miss. Bell, and return them to Gryffindor tower," Snape said quietly. "Off you go now."

Katie could only nod in confusion as she followed her head of house from the Dungeons, and up to the second floor. Professor McGonagall was strangely quiet, and when Katie asked her head of house what was wrong, Professor McGonagall simply shook her head, and told her that Professor Dumbledore would explain everything. Her curiosity piqued, Katie fell silent. Professor McGonagall didn't speak again, until she murmured the password to the gargoyles that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Following Professor McGonagall up the winding stairs, Katie paused when she saw Professor Dumbledore sitting not at his desk, but on one of the couches that sat in a semi circle. And when he patted the seat beside him, Katie felt the first trickle of fear.

"Ahh, Katie. Come and sit, my dear. Would you like a lemon drop?" he asked, and Katie shook her head silently as she sat gingerly on the edge of the couch.

Professor McGonagall sat down beside her, and Katie looked between the two Professors, before she bit back a nervous laugh and looked pleadingly at Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall sighed once, and then reaching out, took Katie's hand in her own.

"I'm afraid there is no easy way to say this, Katie. There's been an accident. Your mother was transferred from Southend Hospital to St. Mungo's."

Professor McGonagall fell silent as Katie stared at her. And when Katie opened her mouth, she had to clear her throat several times before she could speak.

"Is... um... is she all right?"

Professor McGonagall squeezed Katie's hand gently, and then glanced at Professor Dumbledore.

"We don't know much, Katie. Your father floo'ed Professor Dumbledore earlier and we have told you all there is to know. Henry said that he would let us know more, when _he_ knew more."

Katie nodded numbly, and after blinking a few times, spoke again.

"What... how?"

"An automobile accident, Katie. Your mother was struck, while crossing the road. The healers are doing all they can."

"What... is she going to be... what do I..."

Katie broke off and shook her head. Professor McGonagall patted the back of her hand and spoke gently.

"Your father wants you to stay here at school, unless he says otherwise. He said there was nothing either of you could do but wait. I am most certain, Katie, that any and all news will be passed on to you, most quickly."

Katie sat there silently; shock had frozen her limbs momentarily, and when she looked at her head of house, Professor McGonagall's face softened in sympathy.

"Why don't I take you up to the dormitories, Katie. I'll clear your classes with your professors, and let you know if I hear anything."

"You can use the floo in here, Professor McGonagall. I'll open it up for you," Professor Dumbledore said kindly.

Katie nodded once, a sharp jerk of her head. But it took Professor McGonagall gently squeezing her hand to make Katie move. Her movements were mechanical and stiff, and unable to cope with the multitude of emotions that were coursing through her mind, Katie simply shut down.

XxXxXxX

The onset of spring could be a miserable time at Hogwarts. Flowers were coming into bloom, while a light rain was present most evenings. The nights were warmer than in winter, but still cool enough to make you want to stay indoors. Marcus tightened his cloak around him as he walked briskly through the rain. The rain wasn't light tonight. It was heavier than usual, one that could chill you to the bone. As he walked, Marcus cursed himself for a fool a dozen times over. Rather than being inside where any smart person was, he was outside in the cold. Rather than being curled up in front of the fire in his Common room, and letting Cecilia Warrington try to convince him that a blow job was all he was getting unless he committed to her, he was out here. In the rain. And when he found one particular Gryffindor, he was going to strangle her.

Forget about her. Simple in theory. Not so simple, when putting it into practice. Katie haunted him all the time now. Marcus found himself seeking her out. Searching for her. Watching her from within the shadows. Thinking about her, and wondering what she was doing. Wondering why she had looked so hurt when she looked up at him. He wondered, and he dreamed…. Marcus wiped water from his eyes as he scowled. He'd seen how quiet she'd been at dinner. Her house mates hadn't noticed - Katie had changed since last year's near fatal fall, and had become an expert at hiding how she really felt - but Marcus had noticed the difference. She hadn't eaten much; she'd simply pushed the food around as she listened to the conversation that flowed around her.

She'd smiled in all the right places, and had managed to laugh at a joke the twins had told, but it had sounded mechanical, even to his ears. She'd slipped away as soon as possible after dinner, and Marcus had lost her in a crush of students. She hadn't gone to Gryffindor tower, which he knew, after threatening a first year student into checking. She wasn't in the library, nor was she in any of her usual places. That only left the Quidditch pitch. And as he ducked under the stands, Marcus spotted a flash of white. Squinting through the rain, he snarled softly. Katie was standing in the middle of the pitch; her arms were out stretched, and her face was tilted upwards. The rain had to have soaked her to the bone, but she wasn't moving.

Stomping across the pitch towards her, Marcus watched as her arms dropped to her sides. Even as he reached for her, Katie's chin dropped to her chest, causing him to falter. Rather than touch her, he finally slid in front of her and waited. Katie's eyes were shut, and Marcus called her name gruffly. It was only after he'd called her name a second time that Katie lifted her head and looked up at him. Water clung to her lashes, and streamed down her cheeks. And after quickly checking her over for injury, Marcus became uncomfortably aware of how transparent her shirt was, and what she looked like clad in pale blue satin. Katie blinked slowly, and her bottom lip noticeably wobbled.

"What the hell are you doing out here, Bell?" Marcus demanded, and Katie blinked again as if she was having trouble answering his question.

"It's real isn't it, Flint?" she asked hoarsely, and Marcus heard the tears in her voice. He'd heard them often enough - had put them there often enough - to know she was close to crying.

"What's real, Bell?" he asked gruffly, and Katie choked back laughter as she turned in a slow circle.

"The rain - it's real, right?"

Marcus rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in annoyance.

"You're getting wet, aren't you?" he asked, and Katie laughed bitterly.

"Am I? I can't feel it. I should feel cold, right? I should feel… something."

Marcus narrowed his eyes and reached for as she turned another slow circle. Jerking her back to face him, he peered down into her face: he felt the first slow roll of panic in his stomach at the blank look in her eyes. Her skin was like ice, and her shirt was plastered to her arms under his hands. The rain mingled with tears on her skin, and she closed her eyes as he stared down at her.

"What the hell is going on, Bell?" he asked again, and Katie snorted as she wrenched away from him in a sudden burst of anger.

"What the hell do you care?" she spat, and she started to walk away from him as Marcus stared after her in disbelief.

With something close to snarl, Marcus crossed the distance between them in several long strides, and yanked her back around to face him. Katie's hand came up to strike out at him, only to be caught in a bone crushing grip. She yelped and struck out with her other hand, only to stumble when he shoved her backwards.

"For fuck's sake, Bell!" he near roared, and it was the use of a Muggle curse that rooted her to the spot. "I didn't come out here for shits and giggles, little girl," he continued in an angry hiss. "So what in Merlin's name has gotten your knickers in such a twist?"

Katie shoved her soaked hair back from her face, and in a rare display of temper, kicked the water that pooled on the pitch at him. Marcus jumped back slightly, but the arc of water still sprayed the front of his cloak as Katie glared at him.

"Again, Flint, why the hell do you care?" she cried.

"I'm beginning to ask myself the same question, Bell," Marcus shouted as she stomped away from him towards the Quidditch stands. "Do they give Gryffindor's special classes in pissing people off, or do they give them classes in avoidance!?"

"Neither, Flint, I'm just multi-talented that way," Katie snarled over her shoulder. "I can talk and piss you off at the same time! But enough about me, let's talk about why you give a damn!"

Marcus snickered angrily, and throwing his hands up in the air, he crossed the pitch after her. Just as she went to duck into the walkway that led to the change rooms, Marcus reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Oh, beg your pardon, but you're obviously mistaking me for someone who _does_ give a shit, Bell!"

Katie jerked back from him as if he had slapped her; Marcus faltered in the middle of opening his mouth to shout at her again, and when Katie pressed her hands over her mouth and turned away from him, Marcus cursed viciously. Reaching out he grabbed her shoulder and spun her back to face him.

"For the _love_ of Salazar, Katie... will you _please_ tell me what the hell is going on?" he asked in a rough voice.

Katie pressed her lips together before answering, her voice showing both fatigue and defeat as she closed her eyes.

"Why would I give you something else to use against me, Flint?" she whispered, "when you have such inventive ways of hurting people?"

Marcus did snarl then, and he took a step towards her and lowered his head slightly as he closed his hands roughly over her shoulders.

"If I wanted to hurt you, Bell, I'd throw you off the top of a bloody Quidditch tower! Now you either answer the question, or so help me, I'll…"

"Do you think you feel the cold when you're dead?" she whispered as she opened her eyes.

Her question stopped him mid-sentence, and Marcus jerked in shock. The motion dragged her closer to him, and Katie stumbled under the abrupt movement. Her hands caught her weight against his stomach just before she collided with him, and she winced when his fingers dug into her shoulders tightly.

"Bell… Katie... What happened?" he pressed, and Katie shook her head as she closed her eyes, and lowered her chin slightly.

They stood that way for a long moment; Marcus gripping her shoulders tightly, and Katie standing with her eyes shut and refusing to answer him. Later, he wouldn't be sure if she stepped into him, or if he stepped into her, but when she bowed her head completely, it came to rest against his chest. Her hands twitched against his stomach, before they fisted in the material of his cloak, and she clutched at him in desperation. Marcus watched the rain stream down the wet length of her hair, and soak into her shirt. He felt the tremors that wracked her slim frame; when he pushed her back a step and opened his cloak with numb fingers, her eyes remained closed. It was only when he drew her against him and wrapped both his cloak and his arms around her, that she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

In the unforgiving light of the moon, her eyes looked bruised and fragile. _She_ looked fragile. Marcus watched as Katie bit her lip against the tears that swam in her eyes, only to lower her head to hide what she obviously thought was a weakness. A weakness she thought he'd use to hurt her, he realized with a flash of anger and shame. Cupping her jaw in his hand, Marcus carefully tilted her face back up, and used his thumb to trace the track her tears had left behind. He smoothed her wet hair back over her head, only to tangle his fingers in it as he cupped the base of her skull. He shook his head slowly when she stared up at him, and then carefully pressed her face into the dip of his throat as he bent his knees slightly. And when her arms hesitantly slipped around his waist, he rubbed his chin over the crown of her head. Under the voluminous material of his cloak, the water that seeped into the front of his shirt didn't come from the sky. Marcus stood there silently, with both his arms and his cloak drawn around her, offering her shelter as she trembled against him.

"Come on," he said roughly, and wrapping his arm around her, he half led, half carried her through the dark, and back towards the castle.

Unable to speak, and barely able to walk, Katie simply followed him. But when her legs finally gave out, Marcus swore softly as he held her up. A crack of lightening lit up the night sky, and Marcus turned slightly as his narrowed gaze swept his surroundings. It wasn't like he could take her to either Gryffindor or Slytherin - not without there being too many questions asked, that he was unwilling to answer. Another crack of lightening lit up the sky, and Marcus' mouth tightened. It wasn't ideal, but it would do.

Katie barely made a sound when he swung her up into his arms; she simply rested her head against his shoulder as his long stride took them across the ground and towards the green houses Marcus had spotted while the sky was illuminated. The lighting was dim, and just a little green, and Katie could smell the rich scent of earth and flowers mingling in the air. And as Marcus crouched down and lowered her to the ground, she smelled the fragrance of crushed flowers. Marcus sat down beside her, and began to squeeze the water out of her hair. Katie lowered her eyes as tears streamed silently down her face. Marcus swung his cloak around her shoulders and slowly did the clasp up as he watched her.

"Katie?"

There was no forthcoming answer, not that Marcus had expected one. Grunting softly, Marcus leaned back against the glass wall. His hair stood up in wet spikes after he'd pushed his hand through it, and as Marcus opened his mouth to speak again, Katie shifted. For the second time in his life, Marcus found himself with an armful of Katie Bell. Her bent head rested against his chest, and her fingers moved restlessly against his ribs. For a single heart beat, Marcus didn't move. But then he sighed, and Katie closed her eyes as Marcus bodily lifted her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

"Katie?"

There was still no answer, and as Marcus rubbed his chin across the crown of her head again, Katie closed her eyes and sighed; a broken shudder of air, and it shook her within the arms of someone she had once deemed her enemy. A boy who had made her cry, and the young man who confused her beyond any semblance of normality. And as Marcus unknowingly held her through the worst grief she would ever feel, that tenuous bond between them solidified. There was no Slytherin Vs Gryffindor. There was no Pure blood Vs Half blood. It was just a boy holding a girl. It was just Marcus and Katie. It was an ending and a beginning, and when Katie began to openly cry, Marcus tightened his arms around her, and maintained the silence she so desperately wanted.


	10. Chapter 10

10

It rained on the day of Katie's mother's funeral. That in itself was no surprise - if the sun had dared to shine, Katie thought bitterly, she would have researched a spell to put it out permanently. How could the sun shine, when her own world had gone dark in the time that it took for a man to lose control of a car? No - there was no sunshine left in her world - not anymore. Katie stood at her father's side; her father clutched her hand desperately as the rain drifted around them like a fine mist. Katie was dried eyed – she had cried herself out a few days ago. She had no tears left now. She was aware that Lee, Angelina, and Professor McGonagall stood in the small crowd of mourners, but she was yet to acknowledge them.

Katie's gaze was riveted to the gaping hole in the earth. Her mother's coffin rested above the grave, the gleaming wood overlaid with white lilies. For the rest of her life, Katie would hate the scent of that flower. Her mother had hated formal flower arrangement; she preferred simple wild flowers, and the way they grew with no rhyme or reason. Katie felt a small burst of anger at the ornate flowers that would send her mother into the earth - yet another way for dear Aunty Anne to put her overestimated, unwanted stamp of '_proper ways to do things_' all over her mother's life. Katie glanced at the Aunty in question, as she sniffed into a lace edged handkerchief; Aunty Anne stood with her parents, Katie's grandparents, and Katie flinched at the grief they openly wore.

Both Katie's mother and Aunty were blonde; they were both fine boned, with violet eyes. Yet they were poles apart in every other way. Aunty Anne's hair was drawn back into a neat chignon - her mother's had always tumbled around her shoulders. Aunty Anne looked respectable in her formal robes - her mother had always had a smear of paint on some part of her body, and bare feet. Her Aunty had never understood Amelia Bell's '_bohemian way of life_.' She had looked down on her younger sister's need to find joy in the simple way of life she had chosen, rather than become a part of upper society. Rather than spend her days sipping tea and eating artfully arranged foods, Amelia had chosen to weave and knit and paint, and love her husband and daughter freely. Her Aunty was a social snob - her mother just… wasn't.

"We gather here today, to celebrate the life of Amelia Bell. A loving wife and mother, who enjoyed the simple things in life. A woman who was dedicated to helping others…."

Katie closed her eyes and blocked out the soothing sound of the minister's words. Her mother had been dedicated to helping others, but when she had needed help in return, it hadn't been there. Brain dead. That's what the doctors and healers had said - her mother had been brain dead. Beyond help. Being hit by an out-of-control car would do that to you. Katie opened dry eyes, and cursed life once more as the minister droned on. When the minister's aid knelt and began to turn the handle of the winch that would lower her mother into the earth, Katie swayed on the spot. Unable to watch, she lifted her gaze slowly and stared off towards the trees that lined the small cemetery. It was only then, that she saw the cloaked figure standing in the shadows. And as she swayed once more, she recognized who it was.

Katie met Marcus' gaze and held it; she held it as her mother's coffin was slowly lowered into the earth. Held it, as arms were wrapped around her in condolence, and soft words of sympathy were murmured into her ears. She held it, until a figure blocked her sight of him, causing her to blink. And when Katie looked back to the tree line, Marcus was gone. Katie was held silently by Angelina, and in that moment, Katie finally lowered her head to her friend's shoulder and gave way to the shudders that had been threatening to wrack her slim frame for the last hour. But she didn't give in to the burning she felt at the back of her eyes though – her tears she swallowed as she lifted her head and gave Angelina a small nod. Turning back to her father, she took his hand once more as he continued to stare blindly down at her mother's coffin, before tugging gently and leading him away.

Katie sat silently through the wake. She drank tea that was too sweet and ate small cakes that tasted like sawdust. She patted people on the back as they told her how very sorry they were for her loss. And when it finally got to be too much, she sought out her father, and as if feeling the weight of her gaze like a physical blow, Henry Bell lifted blue eyes and locked gazes with his daughter. The haze of grief that had blinded him lifted momentarily, and he swallowed as he tracked tired eyes over his daughter. Grief had stripped away any lingering vestige of childhood innocence, and had left a young woman in its wake. She was her mother's daughter, he thought; her mother's daughter, but with her father's eyes. Blue eyes that showed her desperate need for escape. He managed a small smile as he nodded, and with his permission, he watched as Katie slipped away.

XxXxXxX

Katie walked through the rain without drawing the hood of her cloak over her head. The rain misted over her hair like tiny crystals as she walked aimlessly; she collected the wild flowers that grew along the way. Bluebells, Snowdon Lilies, and Windflowers. Wild Sage, and Wood Violets by the dozen. Her mother's voice whispered in her mind as she walked, pointing out the flowers and their many uses. Katie trailed her fingers across the stone wall that surrounded the cemetery, her fingers dipping and rising between each stone. And when she knelt at her mother's grave, she scattered the wild flowers across the small mound of dirt. The simple wooden cross that stood at the head of the grave would be replaced with a stone marker in time, and Katie stared silently at her mother's name. Digging her fingers into the loose earth that covered her mother's grave, Katie spread her fingers when they were covered. She felt the earth crumble wetly around her fingers, and stain her hands as she clenched them into fists again. Katie stared blindly at the simple wooden cross that bore her mother's name. Her mother had been thirty-eight.

No more running through the meadow behind their house together while it rained, and laughing as her father exclaimed that they'd both catch colds. No more late night chats in front of the fire, and the familiar feeling of her mother brushing her hair. No more hugs and kisses that smelled like a cottage garden. No more being woken in the middle of the night to bake biscuits together and trying to muffle their laughter when half of them came out burned. No more impromptu trips to France in summer. No more lazy days on the beach, chatting about school, friends, and boys together. No more parcels arriving at school, with muggle candy tucked between books and beautifully knitted jumpers, each stitch looped with love. No more owls arriving in the middle of winter, with colored sketches of summer to hang on her wall.

The crunch of footsteps on leaves had Katie swallowing hard. The footsteps were measured; designed to alert her to his presence. And when woolen clad thighs slipped either side of hers, Katie leaned back against a familiar chest as he knelt behind her. Lee's arms bought a familiar sense of comfort, and as he rested his chin on her shoulder, Katie shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut as his scent enveloped her, much like his arms had.

"I'm not ready," she finally whispered, and her voice broke slightly as she stared blindly across the grave.

His arms tightened, and Katie swallowed when his lips brushed her temple.

"You're not alone, Katie."

It was a whispered promise, and as the first tear slid free she turned blindly into Lee's arms and wept bitterly. Wept for the injustice and the feelings that had tangled her up inside. She felt Lee's lips brush her head again, and heard his soft whisper that she wasn't alone - she would always have him. Lee rocked her as her fingers clutched at his robes; her sobs echoed bitterly across the cemetery, while his heart broke in the face of her grief. Lee stared down at the flowers he had seen her pick, and then he narrowed his eyes when he saw the single red poppy that rested against the marker. Poppies were for remembrance… a single blood red poppy that shimmered with magic. Poppies, that grew like a magic carpet in green house four at Hogwarts.

His mind was taken back to the night his house had found out about Katie's mother. Katie had vanished for several hours after dinner; Professor McGonagall had come looking for Katie, with her face pinched with worry. It was only when she was told that Katie wasn't in Gryffindor tower, that she admitted that Katie's mother was in the hospital. For one long moment, Lee had felt blind-sided; in all the years that they had been friends; this was the very first time that he could ever remember Katie not coming to him with her problems. He had shaken the feelings off quick enough, and had been one of the very first to raise his hand in offer of helping to look for her. The portraits were unable to locate her, nor where the ghosts of Hogwarts. Not even the twins had been able to tell him where Katie was. The Marauder's map had been confiscated by Professor Lupin several weeks earlier, and not wanting to give up the maps secrets, the twins and Harry had stayed silent.

The castle had been searched high and low. It was only when the Patronus of a doe appeared before Professor McGonagall nearly two hours later, that they had learned of Katie's whereabouts; she'd been found asleep in green house four. Her hair had been damp, and she'd been wrapped in a cloak that was twice her size as she laid sleeping on the carpet of scarlet flowers. A cloak, Lee slowly remembered, that had borne a silver serpents clasp. Professor McGonagall had taken the cloak with her, and seeing it had been pushed to the back of Lee's mind in the face of Katie's grief. Even so, staring at the poppy as he held Katie, Lee began to think again. He remembered the cloak now. And as the puzzle pieces slowly began to click into place, Lee cursed softly. A cloak, a silver serpents clasp, and one other indisputable fact; in the days after Katie had been found in green house four, Marcus Flint had been sick with a bad head cold. Some might call it coincidence – Lee didn't believe in coincidences.

Lee continued to stare at the poppy as Katie's sobs grew softer, and as they slowly turned into hiccups, she grew still in his arms. Staring hard at the flower, Lee wondered where Flint had found Katie that night, and how he had known before any of them, that something had been wrong. What had he seen from the outside that her house-mates and closest friends had missed? Where had he found her? What had she said to him? Why had he wrapped her up in his cloak? Why had he chosen green house four? And even more puzzling, why had he taken the trip from school, to lay such a simple flower on the grave of a woman he had never met? And when Katie shifted restlessly in his arms, Lee got an answer that not only bore more questions, but whose answers troubled him.


	11. Chapter 11

11

Three weeks after the death of her mother, Katie quietly returned to Hogwarts. The relationships she had forged on the Quidditch pitch with her team-mates sprang to life, and they formed a protective buffer around her, keeping the gossipers and curious alike at a distance. Even Oliver toned down his tendencies to shout at her when she was on the Quidditch pitch; if he had an order to give, he simply relayed it to Angelina. Angelina set a punishing schedule; Katie's life was regimented down to the last nanosecond. There were classes to catch up in; homework and extra credit parchments had Katie too tired to even dream when she collapsed into her bed at night. And after four weeks of being treated like she was going to break, Katie was ready to scream. Slipping away from her friends was starting to prove impossible. She knew that they meant well, and she did love them for it. Nevertheless, if she didn't get a moment alone to reflect and breathe, she was going to scream.

In the end that distraction came from Harry, when he approached her one Saturday evening requesting her help. It was the gleam in his eyes that made Katie look at him twice, and when he asked if she would mind helping him with a parchment on Quidditch, Katie could only nod slowly. Harry led her away from her hovering friends, while he insisted to Hermione that only Katie could help him. Rounding the corner, they left their friends behind; most of them were curious, and Hermione was pouting. After checking to see if the coast was clear, Harry led her down a side corridor rather than towards the library. After walking down several flights of dimly lit stairs, Harry stopped, ran a nervous hand through his hair and gave her a sweet smile as he ran his fingers over a warn tapestry.

"I've left my broom in the changing rooms. The moon is high and full tonight, so you should be able to see just fine. Put it back when you're finished, yeah?"

Katie stared at him for a long moment, before ducking her head and brushing her lips lightly across his cheek. Harry blushed and patted her shoulder awkwardly.

"I know what it feels like to be constantly watched. To have people watching your every move, and waiting to see if you are going to crack under the pressure. This is my escape route, for when that happens… Go and have some fun, Katie. Your Mum would want that," he said earnestly.

Katie nodded and slipped through the passageway behind the tapestry. It was poorly lit, and Katie trailed her fingertips over the wall as she made her way towards the end of the passage. When she eventually found a small wooden door, it took several swishes of her wand to get it to unlock; it led to the one thing she found that she needed more than anything else. Katie found herself outside, in the fresh evening air, on her own. It felt like pure freedom to run down to the Gryffindor change rooms, and find Harry's prized Firebolt hidden under some dusty blankets. Tracing her hands over the smooth handle, Katie took a deep breath, before she headed outside. She had barely taken a half a dozen steps into the shadows, when she collided with a solid body.

Rough hands gripped her arms tightly, and she was jerked back into a standing position that had her stumbling into a very familiar wall of muscle. It was the scent of him that unveiled him to her; Katie breathed in the crisp scent of soap, broom oil and fresh air. Lifting her chin slowly, Katie looked up into the familiar darkness of Marcus' eyes. They were narrowed as he stared down at her, his lips drawn into a familiar scowl. As she stared up at him in the silence of the night, she was reminded of another night she had lifted her face to look at him, while standing as close to him as she was now. As if reading her mind, he released her abruptly and took a step away from her, his voice gruff when he spoke.

"Where are your jailers?"

Katie tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged slightly.

"You noticed that, huh?" she asked softly, and Marcus gave a sharp bark of laughter.

"I notice a lot of things, Bell."

"Such as?" she asked as he pushed past her, and Marcus glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Such as certain little girls who should be inside where it's safe, instead of walking around in the dark, and poking their noses in other people's business."

Katie flinched at the obvious snarl in his voice. Marcus swore softly as her shoulders dropped and he ran a rough hand down over his face as she took a step away from him.

"I've also noticed that you can't scratch your own arse without one of them springing up to do it for you," he muttered, and Katie faltered mid step. "I've noticed that you're being treated like an invalid. They aren't letting you feel, Bell."

"Like you aren't, you mean?" she murmured, and the winced when he grabbed her hand and spun her back to face him.

"What's that meant to mean?" he spat, and Katie shoved him back a step in sudden anger.

"You have taken pure pleasure in cutting me down time and time again. You've laughed as I bled because of your words! But since the last time we were out here together, you've pretended that I don't exist!"

Marcus laughed in disbelief, and lowered his face so that they were nose to nose.

"I might be in Slytherin, Bell, but I don't take pleasure in deliberately kicking someone when they're already down!" he spat, and Katie laughed cynically.

"Don't you?" she retorted, and winced when he grabbed her arm and jerked her towards him.

"I could cut you down so far that you'd never recover, Bell," he hissed, and shoved her back a step. "I just can't be bothered. It lost its appeal."

Katie pressed her lips together for a moment and nodded slowly as Marcus glared down at her.

"I see," she said quietly, and tightened her grip on Harry's broom. "Sorry to be such a bother to you, Flint."

Turning away from him, she took a couple of steps towards Gryffindors change rooms, only to have Marcus grab her elbow again.

"Where are you going? You're not going to go flying now?" he asked, and Katie leveled cold blue eyes on him.

"I can't be bothered. It just lost its appeal," she said flatly, and Marcus' jaw tightened when she turned his words back on him.

"Don't be stupid, Bell," he said gruffly. "I'll grab a Quaffel…"

He broke off when Katie shook her head and jerked away from him.

"No. What I wanted when I came out here, Flint, was some peace and quiet. To not have people ask me if I want totalk about how I'm _feeling_," she said bitterly. "What I don't want, is pity. Not my house-mates, not my team-mates, and not _yours_. I just want to _forget_," she said, and turned blindly when she felt the tears in her throat rise up to choke her.

She managed another few steps, before she found herself blocked by a solid arm slipping around her waist. She closed her eyes and dropped her chin when she felt Marcus step closer to her, his size dwarfing hers as he stood behind her.

"How much are you willing to give for some peace, Bell?" he asked after a long moment of silence, and Katie shrugged slightly.

"What do you care?" she whispered. "I'm not worth it, remember?"

Marcus laughed softly, and after bodily turning her back to face him, he gripped the tip of her chin and tilted her face up so he could look down at her.

"Don't put words into my mouth, Bell, I never said that. Again - how much are you willing to give? Or are you too scared to be alone with me?"

His words were a whisper from the past, and Katie licked her lips and shook her head slightly.

"How much?" he whispered, and she jumped when she felt his words intimately brush her cheek.

"What wouldn't I give?" she muttered finally.

For a long moment, there was utter silence. But then Katie felt Marcus' hand tighten on her neck.

"Good girl. I'll give you that peace, Bell."

"Why? What's in it for you?" she asked, and felt his hand twitch against her neck.

"Meaning?" he asked, and Katie looked up at him slowly.

"What do you want from me in return?"

"That's a dangerous question, Bell," he murmured, as a look she couldn't quite decipher crossed his face.

"What do you want in return?" she asked stubbornly, and Marcus' fingers briefly slid through the hair at the base of her neck.

"I'll collect at a later date," he said quietly, and his hand slid along her skin as he released her. "You coming or what?"

Katie paused as Marcus turned away from her; his soft laughter was mocking when he glanced back at her.

"Come on, Bell - where's that fabled courage that you have, hmm?" he asked with a chuckle.

Katie glared at him, but nevertheless, she turned back towards Gryffindor's change rooms to return Harry's broom. After resetting the wards, she turned towards where she had last seen Marcus. But when she didn't see him, Katie shook her head as she wondered what games he was playing now. Taking a few steps towards the corridor that led between the stands, she jumped when the door to Slytherin's rooms opened and Marcus walked out. It was only after he'd flicked his wand and tucked it into his inner holster that Katie saw he was holding a cloak.

"Coming?" he asked, and Katie sighed as she nodded.

Marcus remained silent as he led her away from the Quidditch pitch, and Katie was content to let the silence linger between them. Tucking her hands into her jacket pockets to keep them warm, Katie followed Marcus for several minutes. But as the walk stretched out, Katie finally broke the silence.

"Where are going?"

A soft snort echoed between them, followed by his soft drawl.

"You ask that _now?_" he said dryly, and Katie felt the corner of her mouth quirk upwards at the amusement in his voice.

"Well, it isn't like you're leaving me a trail of clues as to where we are headed, is it?" she asked, and Marcus snickered.

"We're nearly there, Bell," he promised, and Katie sighed theatrically, causing Marcus to snicker again.

As they walked out of a clump of trees, Katie glanced at Marcus, and then squinted through the darkness.

"The lake?' she asked finally, and Marcus hummed softly.

"Hmm. It's nice down here at this time of year," he replied, and Katie shrugged as she continued to follow him around the lake.

Marcus led Katie to a large flat section of rock, and when he sat down, Katie only hesitated for a moment before she sat beside him. The silence was broken by the sounds of the night; the crickets that chirped, and the occasional splash that signaled the merfolk swimming beneath the crystal surface of the lake. And as she stared out across the quietness of the lake, Katie felt the tension in her shoulders slowly start to melt away. Wrapping her arms around her drawn up knees, Katie sighed softly.

"Marcus?"

His eyes snapped towards hers when his given name passed her lips. But Katie had given it a lot of thought – he had helped her. Surely now, they were passed the surname approach of this strange little relationship.

"Hmm?" he murmured finally.

Katie peeked over at him, and as she watched, Marcus slowly stretched out on the rock, and tucked his arm beneath his head as he stare up a the star filled sky.

"Where did you grow up?" Katie asked softly, and Marcus looked up at her with a look of mild confusion on his face. But as they stared at one another, Marcus' face relaxed, and Katie thought she saw a flicker of sympathy cross his face. She couldn't be certain, however, as Marcus shifted so that he could see the stars again. Silence fell between them again, and Katie sighed. But when she laid down beside Marcus to stare up at the sky too, Marcus spoke quietly.

"My parent's home is in Wiltshire," he said. "About a Quaffle's throw from the Malfoy's and Pucey's."

Katie felt her lips quirk up into a smile, and she tilted her chin so that she could study Marcus out of the corner of her eye. He seemed content to remain silent, but the memory tugged at her, and Katie took a deep breath.

"You know where I live," she stated softly, and Marcus murmured softly in agreement. "How?..." she asked, and Marcus jerked his shoulder slightly.

"You really want to discuss this, Katie?' he finally said, and Katie nodded.

"The night your Mum...passed... do you remember that?" he asked, and Katie nodded silently. "Apparently, the whole castle was looking for you. Professor Snape was the one who found us. He sent McGonagall a patronus, and when he saw her coming, he took me back to the castle, so that there wouldn't be questions asked as to why we were together. I didn't find out until the following day about your Mum."

Marcus broke off and shook his head, and when Katie sat up and curled her knees under her, she spoke quietly.

"I take it then, that Professor Snape gave you not only his permission to leave school, but my address as well?"

Marcus simply nodded.

"Yes. He told me where and when the funeral was going to be."

"Why?"

It was a loaded question, and Marcus sat up slowly. They stared at each other for a long time, before Marcus finally shrugged.

"Why not?" he muttered, and Katie snorted.

"Please. Why is it so hard for you to answer a simple question?" she asked.

"Why do you have so many questions?" Marcus asked, and Katie shook her head.

"Why do you always answer a question with a question?" she countered, and Marcus' eyebrow lifted at her tart response.

"Touché," he replied, and then shrugged. "I don't know why, Katie. Why do you think?" he asked.

"I think you should be honest," Katie said softly, and Marcus snickered.

"An honest answer can get you into a lot of trouble. Haven't you learned that yet, Katie?"

Katie sighed, and then shrugged.

"Honestly? I think you came because we're friends. We _are_ friends, aren't we, Marcus?" Katie whispered, and it was Marcus' turn to sigh as he looked out over the lake.

"I don't know what we are," he said finally "I used to think that you were a colossal pain in the arse. All pointy elbows, and snark and runs."

"And now?" Katie asked, and Marcus looked at her silently.

"I don't know what you are now, Katie," he said finally. "But I don't want to throw you off the top of a Quidditch tower any time soon."

"You're not as bad as people say, Marcus," Katie murmured, and Marcus grinned at her suddenly.

"Nah, I'm worse, Katie."

Katie giggled, and when Marcus laid back down, he pursed his lips as he studied the sky.

"Do Muggles really travel to the moon?" he asked out of the blue, and as Katie laid back down beside him, she nodded.

For the next hour Katie found the peace she so desperately craved, as Marcus asked questions, and she softly answered them. And with each question asked, the tentative friendship between them became more real.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey, guys, thanks heaps for your kind words, and the like, and to those of you who I can't pm back because you are a guest, thanks for your kind words too. I'll try to be a little more frequent in updating, but I still can't promise, as my beta is MIA in a move across the country, and as I manage a rather busy store, my time at home with my hubby and two brat-lings is rather precious. But I just wanted to say THANK YOU! Kerri. xxx

12

After their evening of solitude by the lake, Marcus and Katie settled into their friendship slowly. Carefully. Rather than watch one another and wonder, they began to have conversations that ranged from normal to out there. Conversations in the stacks while putting books away, and conversations under Ravenclaw's Quidditch stand; not under Gryffindor or Slytherin. No, they took their respective houses out of it as much as they could. And as the days stretched out, their friendship grew, as did the feelings that they so desperately wanted to keep a secret.

XxXxXxX

"What's your favorite thing about being a wizard? Other than being able to do magic, of course."

"Flying. What's yours?"

"I'm not a wizard, Marcus."

"Oh hardy ha ha, Bell. Favourite things about being a _witch_ then?"

"You know, when you said witch just then, I think _you_ were thinking of another word, weren't you? One that rhymes with witch..."

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, Katie."

"Oh, ha ha!"

"Sarcasm becomes you, little _witch_."

"Shut up, Marcus!"

"Well? Are you going to answer me or not?"

"Umm... I love learning about the different creatures that inhabit our world."

"See? Now was that so hard?"

XxXxXxX

"Favorite class?"

"Oh, I love Transfigurations. And you?"

"Advanced Potions."

"_Advanced_ Potions? Why?"

"Because I've learned how to kill an person twenty five different ways, and be able to get away with it..."

"Oh hardy ha ha, Marcus!"

"You asked!"

"So, you believe in revenge then?"

"_Slytherin_, Bell. Of _course,_ I believe in revenge. Don't you?"

"I'm not sure if your definition of revenge and mine are the same, Marcus."

"Really? Should I ask Montague if he agrees?"

"That was different!"

"No, Katie, it wasn't. You and me? We think the same way."

"How's that?"

"I can either be your very best friend or your very worst enemy. He made an enemy of you... you retaliated."

"Does that make it any less wrong what I did? I did hurt him after all."

"Nah. Besides. He hurt you first."

"What would you have done?"

"Let's put it this way, Katie... they'd never find the body."

"...You're kinda scary, Marcus."

"Thank you!"

XxXxXxX

"When's your birthday?"

"Why?"

"Because..."

"Because you're a nosy little Gryff?"

"Oh, ha ha, Marcus! No, seriously, when's your birthday? I'll tell you when mine is!"

"You turned fifteen on the twentieth of August, the day after Brown had her birthday."

"...You're right scary, Flint..."

"No, Bell, I'm really not. I have a head for statistics. Add in that you Gryffindor's are a noisy bunch when it's time to throw a celebration; it should come as no surprise that I know when your birthday is."

"That's true... So when is _your_ birthday?"

"Fourteenth of April."

"That's... In only a few days, Marcus! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"What's there to say, Katie, other than Happy Birthday?"

"I can't even get down to Hogsmead to get you something!"

"Don't worry about it, Bell."

"No! I want to get you something... or do something for you!"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know! But I would have done something!"

"Just wish me a happy day, Katie. That'll do."

XxXxXxX

"Happy birthday, Marcus."

"Thanks, Bell."

"How's it feel to be nineteen?"

"Same as eighteen did, Bell."

"Oh ha ha!"

XxXxXxX

"What's the best thing about being a Half Blood?"

"Oh, that's easy. I get to experience the best of both worlds."

"How so?"

"Well, I get to experience magic, and everything that comes with that. Flying, knowledge, and Quidditch. But I also get to experience the best of the Muggle world too. Chocolate and football and the parties that we hold on the beach in the summer time."

"What's the Muggle world like?"

"It depends on where you live, I suppose. Muggle London is frantic – fast paced, filled with money and high fashion, it's a city that never sleeps. But a sea-side town? That slows the pace down. Walks along the beach in winter, and swimming in the sea during summer as the days stretch out? It's as slow as you can possibly get."

"Hmm."

"Why do you ask, Marcus?"

"I'm not sure as where to live when I leave school."

"What about with your parents?"

"No. My mother... travels a lot."

"And your father?"

"I'd better get to class, Katie. I've already failed once."

"Marcus?"

"See you around, Bell."

XxXxXxX

"Haven't seen you around much, Bell."

"No...I, ah... I owe you an apology, Marcus."

"For what?"

"You see... When I asked who... ummm... I looked up your family history in the library. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Marcus."

"So, you know then."

"That he is in Azkaban? Yes. I'm truly sorry, Marcus."

"Why? It isn't really a secret, Bell. I suppose outside of Slytherin, it would come as a shock, but to those of us in my house, we all have a relative somewhere who supported Him, and landed in Azkaban for it."

"How do you cope with it, Marcus?"

"Don't have a choice, do I? He's locked up, that's public record, as are his crimes. The fact that he escaped the Dementor's kiss by the skin of his arse is known fact too. Most people outside of Slytherin look at me and see him, Bell. You get used to it."

"Still, I'm sorry."

"Leave it, Bell. Talking about an unchangeable fact is as depressing as all fuck."

"All right."

"Have you ever gotten drunk?"

"I came close once on the beach with Lee last year. But other than that, no. Why?"

"Do you want too?"

"It's against the rules to drink on school grounds."

"You won't go to hell for breaking the rules _once_, Katie."

"When?"

"No time like the present. It isn't like we have to get up for classes tomorrow."

"All right."

XxXxXxX

Katie followed Marcus to Slytherin's Quidditch stand. The stand was dark, and after a quick peek, Katie saw that there were some blankets piled up against the wall, opposite the railing. It was against the railing that Marcus stopped, and he tilted his head back and looked up at the night sky as Katie watched him silently. When Marcus beckoned her closer, Katie crossed to his side and looked out over the pitch as he stood beside her. She lifted her eyes to his when he produced a small bottle from within his robes, and she licked her lips nervously.

"What is it?" she asked, and Marcus gave her a strange smile.

"The ability to forget what you can't change," he whispered as he uncorked the bottle and lifted it to his lips.

After taking a small measure, he held the bottle out to her, and when he raised his eyebrow in challenge, Katie sighed and took a small sip. The alcohol was smooth on her tongue, but it still made her cough. Marcus chuckled softly, his hand closing around hers when she lifted it again.

"Slowly, Katie. I don't want you to drink to get drunk; just enough to get tipsy. As you said, we are at school."

Katie nodded, and a dozen sips later, she swayed into Marcus with a small sigh. His arm closed around her waist as he stepped behind her; holding her up right between his body and the rail of the stand, Marcus let his chin come to rest on the crown of her head. Katie sighed softly and closed her eyes as her head rested against the dip in the broad shoulder behind her.

"Whiskey?" she mumbled, and Marcus made a small sound of disagreement.

"No. Cognac. It's smoother. More… manageable."

Katie twisted her head to look up at him, but his face was unreadable as he looked away from her and stared out across the pitch.

"What are you trying to forget?" she mumbled, and Marcus jerked against her.

"Numerous things," he said finally, and lifted the bottle to his own lips.

Katie stared at the liquid inside the cut glass bottle as Marcus' hand grasped her hip tightly. Tracing her eyes from the way his lips pursed around the lip of the bottle, down to the slow shift in the muscle in his throat as he swallowed, Katie bit back a tiny sound of need as the cognac warmed her stomach. Heat pooled between her thighs, leaving her to shift against Marcus, who tightened his arm around her waist when the curve of her hip brushed against his groin. She blinked slowly as the world tilted beneath her, and when she focused again, she was being lifted into his arms as he murmured softly that he had her, that she was safe.

Marcus turned towards the shadows, and Katie closed her eyes again. When she reopened them, she was leaning against Marcus. His legs stretched out either side of her as she lay curled between them, while a green and black blanket was draped over her lower body. She felt a slight tug on her hair, and rolled her head against his chest to look up at him as he stared across the tower. His face was unreadable, and his eyes were at half-mast as he toyed absently with her hair. It seemed to take forever, but he looked down at her and smiled slightly. Katie curled further into him without thought as Marcus shifted to accommodate her. Resting in the curve of his arm, Katie reached up and touched the edge of his collarbone with her fingertips.

"What are you trying to forget, Marcus?" she whispered, and his eyes narrowed slightly as she stared up at him through blurred eyes.

"Numerous things, Katie," he repeated, and looked away.

"Like what?" she persisted, and Marcus' jaw clenched.

"I forgot how stubborn you can be," he muttered. "All right. I want to forget the look on your face when you realized that my father was a Death Eater. We forgot that outside our friendship, we are as different as day and night. You are so fucking innocent in the way of the world, Katie, and I feel like I've jaded you all too soon because of my family. I want to forget that you know my father has murdered innocent people, all in the name of blood purity, and on the oath of a wizard who was stark raving mad.

"I want to forget that innocence can be found in many forms, and that it should be savored like a fine wine. I want to forget that there are laws in place that could land me in Azkaban, for taking a sip of that wine too early. I want to forget that I could so easily taint that innocence and that if I wait, like all fine wines, it will taste better with age. I want to forget that not everything in life can be mine, just because I want it. I want to forget, but I can't."

Katie shifted and traced the veins in the back of his hand with her fingertip.

"Why can't you have it now, Marcus? You have it all, remember? Power, money, prestige. You have a contract with the Falcons… you have it all…" she said after a moment's silence, only to look up when Marcus laughed bitterly.

"Do I?" he asked, and a wry smirk twisted his face as he looked down at her.

Katie's lips formed a perfect circle, and she patted his hand.

"You want a witch, don't you?" she said knowingly, and Marcus flinched.

"I'm not telling you that, Katie," he snapped, and Katie giggled.

"You can trust me, Marcus. Besides, I'm not going to remember anyway, am I? I think I had one sip too many."

"Aye," he muttered, and Katie settled down against him.

"What is she like? Is she pretty?" she asked quietly.

Marcus looked down at her; his face darkened slightly as he continued to toy with her hair, his gaze taking in her flushed cheeks and glazed eyes slowly.

"She's… beguiling," he said finally. "She has no idea how alluring her innocence is. No idea of the power she has over me. She has no idea how hard it is seeing her every day, and not just taking what I want."

"And what do you want, Marcus?" Katie asked, and Marcus smirked.

"That's not something your innocent, young ears should be hearing, Miss. Bell," he teased, and Katie snorted.

"Please - try being in a house with the Weasley twins, and not being shocked!" she said with a roll of her eyes, and Marcus laughed.

"What? You want to hear how she makes my blood burn? How I dream about her?" His voice lowered, a sinful purr in the shadows. "How I walk behind her and imagine biting the back of her neck while I fuck her?" he asked with a dark smirk, and Katie blushed but snorted all the same.

"At least you Slytherin's have imagination," she said with a yawn. "In our house, it is more like '_Point_. You. Me. _Grunt_.' Doesn't really do much for the girl on the receiving end of _that_ invitation," she said, and Marcus snorted back laughter.

He shook his head as she rubbed her chin over the cashmere jumper he was wearing.

"Doesn't she want you?" Katie asked sleepily a moment later, and Marcus gave a sharp bark of laughter.

"Sometimes I wonder. I see the way she looks at me, but I don't think she knows what she reveals to me in those moments. Again... innocent."

"Why don't you tell her?" Katie mumbled as she closed her eyes, and Marcus shrugged.

"And have her reject me, and then laugh at me with her mates?" he asked.

Katie lifted heavy eyes and smiled up at him.

"Why would she reject you? You're not like the other Slytherin's. You're more like… a knight on a white horse."

"A what?" he exclaimed in affronted indignation, and Katie giggled.

"Shh… I'll never tell. Don't worry. But it seems to me, Marcus, that every time I fall lately, you're there to catch me. But unlike most white knights, you then kick me in the arse until I get out of your arms, and stumble away on my own two feet. So again… why would she reject you?" she asked, looking away from him and biting her lower lip.

Marcus looked down at her, and spoke softly.

"Because most of the time, she remembers that I can be an arsehole to her."

Katie snorted, and shifted so that she could look up at him again.

"Then stop being such an arsehole, and try being nice to her," she suggested, and Marcus lifted an eyebrow.

"When I am nice to her, Katie, she thinks I'm doing it out of… obligation," he said wryly.

Katie nodded and let her head come to rest against his chest again.

"Is there a wizard you like, Katie?" he asked quietly, and Katie shrugged slim shoulders.

"Aye. But he likes his witches with more curves than I've got."

Marcus' eyes darkened, and Katie's breath hitched in her throat when he deliberately lifted his hand and pressed it against the base of her ribs, his thumb sweeping once across the bottom of her breast lightly. He ran his hand down over her waist, hip and the top of her thigh slowly. Measuring. Observing. Testing.

"You've got curves, Katie," he said thickly, and Katie smiled slightly.

"Not as many as he wants. I've seen the witches he likes. Besides," she said as her head dropped back to his chest. "Who'd want a stick in their bed? Who'd want a pure little virgin? Not him."

Marcus groaned softly, and smacked his head against the wall behind him when he heard his own words fall from her lips. Looking down at her, he waited until she looked back up at him, before palming her hip and pulling her further into him. Running his hand across her hip and lower back, Marcus spoke quietly.

"Maybe he was showing a front for his mate. Maybe he was protecting you from being targeted."

"Maybe. And maybe you should just grow a pair of balls," Katie whispered as she slumped further into his arms, "and just take what you want."

She winced slightly when he tugged her head back by her hair, his eyes glittering as he stared down at her.

"Do you think that's what she wants, Katie? To be taken? To feel like she's the most precious thing in the world to me?"

Katie sighed heavily as he cradled the back of her head in his hand.

"Trust me - all girls want to be wanted, Marcus. I hope she wants you as much as you want her."

Marcus blinked as he watched as she slumped back down into his arms. Her lashes fanned out across her cheeks, and her breathing grew heavy as she slid into sleep. He laughed nervously as he ran his hand down over her hair again, and looked back out over the grounds.

"Maybe," he whispered finally, and then looked back down at her. "Time will tell."


	13. Chapter 13

13

The last few days of school were sweltering. Classes were finished, and the final two days of school stretched out before the students. The Gryffindor Quidditch team took full advantage of the warmer weather as they walked together with mischief on their minds. They had spent the day lounging around the Quidditch pitch, and Katie was rather pleased to see the beginnings of a golden tan appear on her skin. But the heat had been unrelenting, which was why the small band of merry students found themselves sitting on the rocks at the edge of the great lake. Fred and George were planning pranks, Alicia was dozing, and Angelina was talking about Captaincy with Oliver. With her head resting on Lee's out stretched legs, Katie smiled, and for the first time in a long while, meant it.

Not far from them, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Quidditch teams were also sitting down. And when mock insults began to float between the three teams, it resulted in brooms being found and mounted and a game of keep-away Quidditch taking place over the cool water of the lake. No snitch - no goals. Just trying to toss several Quaffels at once, while aiming said Quaffel at other players to try and unseat them. Roger Davies hit the water first, yet his laughter was good natured as he began swimming to the edge of the lake where more students and even some of the professors had gathered to watch. And when a Quaffel came flying towards her, Katie shrieked and closed her eyes. It never hit her, however, and Katie opened her eyes slowly.

Marcus hovered in front of her, the Quaffel held in his hand and a smirk playing across his lips as he winked at her, before launching the Quaffel at the unsuspecting Hufflepuff Seeker. It was a direct hit, and Katie started laughing when Cedric Diggory screamed as he fell. He came up for air, with a strand of seaweed sitting on the top of his head and his laughter echoing when he caught sight of Marcus smirking at him. Flying slowly through the fading light, Katie watched as Draco Malfoy chased after Harry Potter, the two of them flying side by side. Flying and taunting each other until a Quaffel from Fred hit Harry, while a Quaffel from Adrian Pucey hit Draco at the exact same time. It knocked the two Seekers into one another, and they fell into the lake in a tangle of arms and legs. That resulted in tears of laughter from all players, and with no house colors, it was free for all.

The game had been going for nearly an hour when Katie ducked a Quaffel, only to be slammed into by Marcus from the other side. He grunted as he slipped from his broom, his arms locking around Katie and pulling her from her broom as he fell. They landed in the water with a large splash, and the hoots of laughter disappeared as the water closed over their heads. Katie twisted in the water to find the surface, and felt Marcus snake his arm around her waist. Hooking her arm loosely around his neck, they both kicked upwards. When they rose from beneath the water, they heard a shout and a splash as Fred was finally unseated near the shore line, and Katie gurgled with laughter as she slipped back under the water. She heard Marcus snort when he hauled her back up, and she slipped her arm around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder as she laughed helplessly. His answering chuckle brushed her ear, and Katie lifted her head and sent him a dazzling smile.

"I _never_ thought I'd see _you_ unseated, Marcus," she said with a chuckle, and Marcus smirked.

"It only took all three Quaffels," he said dryly, and Katie snickered as she pushed her wet hair out of her eyes.

"Good to hear you laugh again, Bell," Marcus murmured as Katie shifted so that she was floating on her back.

Katie looked back at him in surprise as Marcus shifted to float beside her. His face was carefully blank, and Katie shrugged slightly as her hand bumped against his under the water.

"I can't grieve forever, Marcus," she said quietly. "Mum would haunt me if I tried. I can just see it... her head popping up through my dessert, and scaring the utter shite out of me."

Marcus snickered, and Katie glanced at him briefly before looking away as she worried her lower lip between her teeth.

The night she had gotten beyond tipsy with him was a blur of alcohol, warm skin, and holes the size of snitches in her memory. Feelings that took on a decidedly erotic turn and the sinful purr of his voice would come to her during class or while she ate, leaving her blushing and puzzled as to why. Half spoken sentences would slither through her mind like fog, leaving her wondering what had been said either side of them. The one thing that did stand out was the sobering charm Marcus had cast on her, just before he had left her at door that led to the warn tapestry Harry had shown her what felt like a life time ago. That, and the fact that Marcus had once again, looked after her.

"I never thanked you, Marcus," she said finally, and then bit her lip when Marcus remained silent.

"For what?" he asked as the silence between them became unbearable, and Katie turned bewildered eyes towards him.

"Are you joking?" she cried softly. "For all of it! For helping me the night my mum died. For providing an escape. For letting me grieve in my own way. For getting me drunk!"

Marcus looked away, his voice a low rumble when he spoke.

"What do you remember about that night we got drunk together?" he asked, and Katie smiled slightly.

"Bits and pieces."

"Such as?" he asked, and Katie chewed on her lower lip for a moment before shrugging.

"I remember what you said about your father. I never thought I'd hear a Slytherin speak about You Know Who in such an unflattering way," she said, glancing at him from under her lashes.

"What else?" he asked quietly, and Katie blushed as she looked away from him. But when his hand brushed against hers, Katie sighed softly.

"What you said about the witch you like," she whispered at last.

Marcus narrowed his eyes as he tilted his head; he rolled over in the water with no warning, and gripped her hand tightly as he began to swim back towards shore. When he stopped a moment later, Katie felt the shifting floor of the lake beneath her feet when she stood up in the chest deep water. Marcus let go of her hand and tilting his head back, muttered softly under his breath as he studied the twilight sky; when he looked back down at Katie through stormy eyes, she almost took a step in retreat. His face was set, his eyes shadowed over with resignation as he stared at her.

"Do you remember anything else?" Marcus asked finally, and Katie looked up at him silently.

"Do you remember telling me that I should grow a pair of balls, and just take what I want?" he asked in a low voice, and Katie lowered her eyes as she shook her head slightly.

"Is taking what I want worth the risk though, Bell?" he asked, and Katie looked up at him when Marcus reached out and grasped the point of her chin in his fingers.

"Risk? What risk would you be taking, Marcus?" she whispered, and Marcus snickered darkly.

"Is taking what I want, worth risking a jail sentence for?" he clarified, and Katie swallowed when his fingers tightened against her chin.

Katie's breath hitched at the look on his face as he towered over her, and when Marcus flicked his tongue over the corner of his lips, Katie shook her head slightly in confusion.

"What?..." Katie's breath escaped in a quick explosion of breath, and Marcus swore softly.

"The witch I want? I'd be risking a stink in Azkaban if I took what I wanted from her, Katie."

"Why... Why would you be jailed, Marcus?" Katie asked, and Marcus snickered angrily as he let her chin go and stared down at her.

"Come on now, Bell, surely you've figure it out," he muttered, and when Katie shook her head again, Marcus dragged his hands down over his face. "She's _underage_, Bell" he said finally. "I'm nineteen, remember? If I took what I wanted from her, it would be classed as statutory rape. It doesn't matter that she is one of the most fascinating witches I have ever laid eyes on. If I took her? It would be considered a crime, and I'd be jailed accordingly."

_"She's… beguiling. She has no idea how alluring her innocence is. No idea of the power she has over me. She has no idea how hard it is seeing her every day, and not just taking what I want."_

Katie licked her lips slowly as the memory rose slowly in her mind, and when Marcus tracked the motion of her tongue with his eyes and swore softly, the answer hits Katie between the eyes like a bludger. Her lips parted slightly, and Marcus snickered bitterly at the look on her face.

"Finally figured it out, did you?" he spat, and Katie nodded slowly as Marcus shoved his hands through his hair in frustration. The silence between them thickened as Katie's mind raced over past conversations, and began to connect the dots. Hope was a warm bloom of joy inside, a bloom that faltered when Marcus swore angrily.

"I hate this," he hissed, and Katie's face twisted with confusion.

"Hate what?" she asked, and Marcus laughed at her in disbelief.

"_This_," he said, gesturing between them. "This _thing_ between us, Katie. You're feeling it as much as I am."

Katie took a deep breath as her heart skipped a beat and then nodded as Marcus stared at her.

"Yes," she whispered. "I feel it. But... I don't understand... why do you hate it?" she asked, and Marcus groaned.

"Because you're fifteen, Katie! Do you honestly think that I _want_ to feel like this? Do you think that it's about choice? I feel like a fucking pedophile every time I look at you!" he snarled, and Katie shook her head as his angry words washed over her.

"I'm not a child!" she cried. "So stop treating me like one! I know how I feel about you, Marcus, and you've just admitted that you feel the same way! Why is that so wrong? And if you mention my age again, I swear I'll hex you into the next century!" she warned.

"What?" Marcus exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands. "What is it that you want me to do here, Katie? It isn't like we can date, is it? It isn't like I can take you to Hogsmead, or down to Diagon Alley! It isn't like I can walk the halls and hold your hand! Merlin, we'd be eaten alive by our house mates... our parents... no one would understand, and we'd end up hating each other for it."

He shook his head and when he went to exit the lake, Katie reached out and took a hold of his hand. Her touch rooted him to the spot, and after a minute of silence, he blew out a shuddering breath and then looked down at her. In that one moment, with those stormy eyes locked on her face, Katie wished that she knew Legilimens, and that she could delve into his mind and see what he was thinking. But then he turned to face her, and Katie felt her mouth turn dry at the look on his face.

"Take what I want?" Marcus murmured again, and Katie swallowed at the dark look in his eyes. "It's not like I can get expelled, right?" he muttered, and Katie shook her head slowly in answer to his wildly asked question when she felt his hands scrape across her hips under the water. His fingers dug into her flesh momentarily, before he swore softly. His hand flexed against her hip, before it slipped across her lower back, and he slid his arm around her waist. And when the muscle in his arm bunched and shifted against her, Katie took a deep breath and stepped towards him.

"Should I just take it, Katie? Just this once?" he whispered, and she shuddered as his words brushed over her mouth.

In answer, she lifted her chin, and Marcus swore softly as he lowered his head. Pressing his forehead to hers, Katie felt her pulse scramble as she breathed him in and the quick pant of his breath brushed over her lips. But when he made no further move to kiss her, when he only continued to breathe her in, Katie swallowed hard and reaching out, she skimmed her hands lightly up his arms to his shoulders. It was then that Marcus tilted his head and as he shifted, Katie closed her eyes and lifted her chin a little more.

"Oy, Katie, where are you?!"

Lee's voice cut through the night, and Katie opened her eyes when Marcus slowly lifted his head. They stared at each for a long moment, before Marcus let her go and pointed towards the shore line where Lee's voice had echoed from.

"Go. Before I change my mind, and we hurt the people we care about, or worse, we hurt each other."

Katie blinked and Marcus growled softly.

"Remember what I said about wanting to bite the nape of her neck as I fucked her, Bell?" he asked brutally, and Katie nodded. "Then go while I'm still trying to be a gentleman, otherwise you're going to find yourself on your hands and knees."

Katie blushed scarlet, and Marcus chuckled darkly.

"You're too young, Katie… way too fucking young," he whispered as he began to back away from her.

"Marcus… I'm not a child," she whispered as she took a step towards him, and when he stopped again, Katie froze at the sight of the look on his face.

"You're under-age, Bell. I'm leaving school tomorrow night, to fly with the Falcons. I'm leaving you pure and untainted. _Untouched_. You won't be under-age forever. Remember that."

He turned his back on her and took a few more steps away, his face suddenly turning to afford her a view of his profile in the murky light.

"Owl me, Bell. Let me know how life treats you," he muttered, and Katie licked her lips.

"Will you write me back?" she whispered, and Marcus laughed harshly.

"On my word as a gentleman," he promised, and Katie flinched at the self-loathing she heard in his voice in regard to being a gentleman. But he was gone, swallowed by the darkness, and Katie turned and fled the water, with his promise ringing in her ears.

xXxXxXxXx

The final day of school was always a rush – breakfast was eaten quickly, while trunks were packed with belongings. Stray socks were sought out from under beds, and library books that you swore black and blue that you'd returned were unearthed from behind a chest of draws. Plans to meet up with friends were made, and promises to write were sworn by. And with nothing left to do but wait until the time to catch the Hogwarts express back to London came, Katie took a final solitary walk around the castle she called home, and towards the library to return said book. She was dreading the return trip to her childhood home – with her mother gone, things would be different. Sighing softly, Katie wondered briefly if her father would remember to meet her, before she slammed her mind shut on those thoughts and blanked it out.

But in blanking her mind it turned, as it had so often over the last few months, to Marcus. Her feelings for him were often overwhelming, such as his presence was when they walked together. He had always fascinated her, right from the first time she had seen him fly. From his height and strength, down to the fact that he was light on his feet when he walked. But their friendship had allowed her to learn more than just what he looked like when he walked. Broad across the palm, with long, tapered fingers, his hands were rough with callouses. His right hand had a jagged scar near his thumb, from where he had been bitten by a Doxy while in fourth year. And while a dose of anti-venom had taken care of the creature's poison, the bite had scarred, marring his hand and leaving him with a permanent reminder that just because a Doxy was small, didn't mean that it couldn't be vicious.

He adored Sshepherds' pie, yet he refused to eat kippers for breakfast – he didn't like the way the bones would inevitably get caught in his teeth. He didn't mind a glass of Elderflower wine when the occasion called for it, and he preferred Ogden's Cognac to Ogden's Old Fire-whisky, but would drink the whisky when offered a glass. And as for his teeth, Marcus had admitted that his teeth were the result of his mother's temper, a stray curse and a perfume bottle she had thrown at him when he'd been fourteen; he didn't get them fixed because every time she looked at him, she was reminded of the fact that she had a temper and that temper and alcohol never mixed. "Besides," he'd said with a shrug, "my appearance scares the shite out of the other players...why would I give up that advantage?"

Katie had concluded that Marcus was an enigma. He was silent in his opinions, but that didn't mean he didn't have them. He just preferred to keep them close to his chest. He was loyal to his house, and he was loyal to those lucky enough to be called 'friend.' He preferred solitude to a crowd, and he preferred knowledge to brute force, but that didn't mean he was scared of using it either if it meant winning. And as their friendship blossomed, Katie had moved past the crush stage, into something far more dangerous. Gone were the thrilling feelings if she caught him watching her. Now she was left feeling helpless. Today would be the last day she would spend here at Hogwarts, while Marcus walked the same halls. As of today, she would be back at home, and Marcus would be moving on with his life. The thought of it broke a little piece of her heart.

Trailing her fingers across the spines of the books in front of her, Katie sighed. She was so lost in her musings, that she never saw Marcus pause at the end of the stack she was standing in. However, her body recognised the feelings he bought out in her, and the tingle in the pit of her stomach had Katie lifting her head; her lips parted on a silent sound as she locked eyes with him, and when Marcus narrowed his eyes, Katie licked her lips and held her breath. For a long moment, she thought that Marcus was going to turn around and head back the way he had come. Then his shoulders dropped, and he glanced over his shoulder. It was only when he looked back at her that he held his hand out; Katie closed the distance between them without thought and took his outstretched hand. He was silent when he tugged her further into the library. She followed him deeper into the dusty stacks, his fingers warm around hers, and her heart in her throat. He maintained his silence for a long moment, but then he whispered her name as he turned to face her.

"Katie... I've tried staying... it won't hurt anyone...just this once, yeah?"

Katie stepped into him in answer, and lifted her chin when he slipped his arm around her much as he had the previous evening while in the lake. Marcus whispered her name again. A question. A benediction. And Katie's eyes fluttered shut in answer. She heard his soft groan of hunger, and then he lowered his head and lightly pressed his lips against hers. For his size and brutality on the pitch, he was surprisingly gentle as he kissed her. He nibbled gently on her lower lip, coaxing her into kissing him back. And when she did, hhe caught her bottom lip between his and lightly dragged the tip of his tongue across it.

Katie inhaled sharply, and his breath mingled with hers as she rose up on tiptoe and grasped his shoulders. He flicked the tip of his tongue lightly across hers, and Katie wound her arms around his neck as another inhalation sealed their mouths together; Marcus growled softly as the kiss went from soft and gentle. His lips lightly bruised hers as he deepened the kiss, the taste of resignation and desperation showing in the frustrated growl that escaped Marcus' lips when he abruptly lifted his head and looked around. Hauling her closer to him, Marcus pulled her further into the shadows as his hand rose to cradle that back of her head. Nipping her lip, he sucked it gently, before delving back into the warm cavern of her mouth to taste her again, as her hands wove themselves through the short hair at the back of his skull. Katie felt the wood of the book shelves dig into her lower back when she collided with them, and she arched away from them and into Marcus with a soft sound of protest.

"We shouldn't be doing this," he muttered as he abruptly wrenched his mouth from hers. Katie stared up at him silently, and with a soft groan, Marcus skimmed his mouth across her cheekbone to her jaw. "I could end up in Azkaban for this," he continued, and bit down lightly on the curve of her neck.

He heard the soft cry she bit back and lifting his head, caught her mouth with his and briefly kissed her again. Holding her firmly against him, Marcus ran his tongue over his lower lip as they stared at each other. And when her eyes cleared slightly, Marcus let Katie slip out of his arms.

"I'll see you around, Katie," he whispered and after brushing the back of his knuckles across her cheek, he was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

14

_Dear Marcus,_

_How's Quidditch going? Is it different from playing at school? I suppose it would be, playing for a professional team and all. Is it everything that you hoped it would be?_

_Katie Bell._

**_Bell._**

**_Put it this way; there are days where I would give my entire fortune to be able to play school-yard Quidditch again. At least you know your own team-mates aren't out to injure you, so that they have a better chance at making it out of the reserves and into a senior position. You think that Slytherin play a rough game? The reserves make Slytherin look like a bunch of pansies._**

**_How are your holidays?_**

**_MF_**

_Dear Marcus,_

_Surely, it isn't that bad!? Does that truly happen with your team mates? How horrible – have you been hurt?_

_And my holidays are all right. I'm working in the pub a fair bit, but I still get to enjoy a walk on the beach most days. Lee and I went to the Summer Music Festival the other day, and listened to some great music. It was nice, being able to catch up with him. I plan on meeting Angelina and Alicia next week in Diagon Alley. They said something about the team getting together at the Burrow for lunch and a game of Quidditch on Sunday._

_Have you seen any of your old school friends?_

_Katie Bell._

**_Bell._**

**_I had three broken ribs, and a concussion by the end of my first training session. What does that say about it?_**

**_I enjoy a walk most evenings after training myself, and a swim in the mornings if I Floo out here early enough._**

**_I saw Adrian yesterday, and we've made plans for him to come and stay with me for a few days._**

**_What else have you spent your summer doing? How was the Quidditch game?_**

**_MF_**

_Dear Marcus,_

_That's terrible! Surely the coaching staff say something to stop this type of behaviour? What happens if you are seriously injured?_

_As for what else I have been doing, not a great deal to be perfectly honest. I work, and I spend time with Lee and Angelina when time permits. Lee and I share not only Wizarding friends, but a few Muggle friends too, so we catch up with them when we are on holidays. There is another music festival coming up, which is always a lot of fun._

_The game at the Burrow was a load of laughs – Mrs Weasley made a fantastic lunch, and we spent most of the day laughing at some of the pranks the twins were telling us they had planned for when we return to school. Charlie Weasley was home, so it evened it up a bit – he was telling us about the dragons he looks after. It sounds exciting, what he does for a living._

_What's it like being out of school, and knowing that you don't have to return this year?_

_Katie Bell._

**_Bell._**

**_Nothing is said by the staff. This is how professional Quidditch is played. You get side-lined, and there are younger, fitter players just waiting to take your place. It only takes one new player, and an exceptional game for the senior staff to look at you. Until then, you are a reserve player, and it comes down to who makes the better impression on the day._**

**_As for not returning to Hogwarts, I'm relieved to have left my school days behind. There are down sides of course – I'll miss seeing my mates. But I've met a new lad who is a team-mate, and he seems all right._**

**_Dragons, hmm? Dangerous, if you ask me. But Charlie Weasley was a nice enough bloke when he was at Hogwarts – even back then I knew he'd go into something like Dragons. He spent enough time with Hagrid when he was at school, learning about the more obscure types of creatures._**

**_As for the twins, they're right scary. Brilliant, but right scary. I'm almost glad I won't see what they do this year – the stink bombs they set off were bad enough!_**

**_How was the music festival?_**

**_How's pub life?_**

**_Marcus Flint._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_Well that's just terrible. I hate the idea of you being hurt like that, because of a position. You've always been a fantastic player, so I have no fear that you won't make it._

_The twins are brilliant, aren't they! It wouldn't surprise me what so ever, if they make something out of how smart they are. Most people only see the joker – they don't see the smart behind it. They'll shock a lot of people in the future, I'm sure._

_Lee and I didn't get a chance to go to the festival this time around – one of our friends had a party instead for his birthday. Jonsey turned seventeen, and his parents said he could throw a big bash, so we spent the weekend with our Muggle friends._

_Pub life is OK. I have my mornings off to see my friends, and the sea is lovely at this time of the year._

_Katie._

**_Bell._**

**_I'm glad you'll think I'll make it. Most nights when I head home, I wonder if it is worth it, I'm hurting so badly. The Falmouth motto is, "Let us win, but if we cannot win, let us break a few heads." They just don't tell you that in training to break other heads, they break yours for good measure; you learn how to do it right rather quickly after that. The days are long, but the pain at night can make them seem longer. I suppose it will be all worth it in the end, but there are days where I wonder._**

**_Did you and Jordan see that there is another music festival coming up?_**

**_How does your father feel about you working in the pub?_**

**_Marcus Flint._**

_Ouch! Are you serious? I'm so sorry that you are hurting the way you are, Marcus. It makes me wonder why we love Quidditch the way we do, when we end up getting hurt so badly._

_Yes, Lee mentioned the Summer Big Bash – how did you know about it? Lee is trying to see if we can go – it's an all weekend type festival, and being the age we are, I don't know if we can go or not. If not, it doesn't matter. My grandparents sent an owl and asked me if Lee and I wanted to take a day trip to France instead, but Lee has gone away for a week or so with his parents. But that's OK - maybe I'll explore Paris on my own._

_As for the pub, Dad's actually not working there at this point, so he doesn't really say much about it._

_Tell me about Falmouth. Do you live there now?_

_Katie._

**_Bell._**

**_We love it because we're daft, I suppose. But it is what separates us from the others – even after a fall like we had, I'm still back up in the air, and chasing the wind. We do it because we love it. I'm learning to deal with the pain, and the Coach is brilliant at strategizing. I've learned a lot from him._**

**_Falmouth is all right. It's right on the coast, and you know what life like that is like. Sea breezes, cliffs to walk on – it's peaceful. I enjoy it there after training, but I prefer the bustle of Central London._**

**_Paris, hmm? Nice place, but like London, a little snobby. The pastries are brilliant though._**

**_As for how I'd known about the festival, I read about it in the newspaper._**

**_Does your Dad know you're working at the pub at all?_**

**_Marcus._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_You live in Muggle-London? In the Muggle world? What do your family and friends think about that?_

_Katie._

**_Bell._**

**_My mother is currently searching for the latest beauty thing to make her appear younger. I think she's in Argentina at the moment. My friends are fine with it. Adrian spent a weekend with me and he couldn't get over how different it is to the quietness of the Wizarding world._**

**_And why wouldn't I want to live there? I don't get chased by Rita Skeeta, or annoyed by Wizarding folk every second of the day. I can just relax and be myself. Besides, there are so many things to learn about here, that I never knew. Muggle football, and you were right – Muggle candy is fantastic. I tend to head out a fair bit with a fellow team-mate – he's a half blood, so he knows more about the Muggle world than I do._**

**_You never said - does your Dad even know you are working at the pub?_**

**_Marcus._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_I suppose that playing at a professional level does have its down side like Rita Skeeta. I never really thought about the bad side of professional Quidditch. Surely, the good out-weighs the bad though? Fame, money, and the game you love? And yes, Dad knows where I am most days. You continue to surprise me, Marcus, but on the other hand, you don't. I never thought that you would willingly be-friend a half-blood, but then we're friends, aren't we?_

_Katie._

**_Bell._**

**_Sure, the money is great, and I've always wanted this, but the complete lack of privacy can be a right pain in the arse. It's why I moved to London in the first place – the brilliant thing about it is, is that I am already well known in the Wizarding world due to Quidditch, but in London, I'm unknown. I come across as a rich lad, who has too much time and money on his hands to do anything else._**

**_The only thing stopping Skeeta running a piece on my father, is the fact that she knows I could sue her for everything she has, so much so, that her great, great grandchildren would still be paying off her debt when she is long dead and gone._**

**_So yes, the good does out-weigh the bad, but then I've never had a problem with squashing reporters like Skeeta._**

**_As for my friendships, Katie, I never looked at your blood status – or have you forgotten the conversations we had when I was still at school?_**

**_Anyway, enough of that, and you can answer a question of mine – what did you mean when you said your Father knew where you were most days? Does he know you are working at the pub?_**

**_Marcus._**

**_Bell._**

**_Either you answer the question, or I'll ask you face-to-face._**

**_Marcus._**

**_For the love of Salazar, woman! Answer the owl, Katie! I can Apparate, you know!_**

**_Marcus._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_I have to say, seeing you walk into the pub this afternoon was a bit of a shock; but then, nothing you do any more surprises me._

_Thank you._

**_You are such a stubborn girl, Katie. But you were right - you are learning to build the perfect Guinness. I'll see you next Sunday. You can show me around your seaside a bit more._**

**_(And no, I'm not doing it out of pity.)_**

**_Marcus._**

**_Dear Katie,_**

**_How's school?_**

**_Marcus._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_School is ok. We are hosting the tri-wizard tournament this year. Because of that, we are playing host to Durmstrang and Beauxbatons respectively. It will be rather interesting to see the three schools come together, and the different cultures that come with that when they arrive._

_How is Quidditch going for you?_

_Katie._

**_Dear Katie,_**

**_Quidditch is good. I am getting a lot of playing time now, and I haven't had a serious injury this month at all. Might be that I threatened to shove the Beater's broom up his own arse, I'm not sure._**

**_Durmstrang, hmm? You might want to avoid that lot, Katie. They take practicing the Dark Arts to a completely new level over there. And the Head-Master makes Snape look as if he enjoys quiet time with fluffy bunnies._**

**_As for the Beauxbatons lot, they're a pack of condescending, snooty little girls. Give me Hogwarts any day. At least you Gryff girls don't run crying to Dumbledore if you break a nail playing Quidditch. Are you getting any play time this year?_**

**_Marcus._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_I can't believe you threatened your own team-mate! Your temper was legendary at school - we used to get a real giggle out of watching you speak down to Malfoy, and then watching him try not to cry in front of you. That's so mean, isn't it! What did the Beater say?_

_No, Quidditch has been cancelled this year due to the tournament. I think I'm ok with that. I love Quidditch, I always have. But I never really wanted to head in that direction after school, you know? I don't have the talent that Angelina or Alicia does, and it was always just about having fun for me._

_I see what you mean about Durmstrang. Karkaroff give me a real case of the willies. There have been a lot of whispers that he and Professor Snape have been arguing. But it has been interesting watching the students mingle together. The lads from Durmstrang tend to stick together, and they are quite opposing when you pass them in the halls. And I never thought I'd see Lavender Brown out-Lavendered, but I was wrong. These girls from Beauxbatons make her look like a right tomboy!_

_I hope that you've been doing well, Marcus._

_Katie._

**_Dear Katie,_**

**_He just smirked, and told me I'd do well. Seems it was the player's way of sorting out the weak from the strong._**

**_As for Malfoy, he's alright. You don't understand the hierarchy of Slytherin, let alone out in the Wizarding world, where blood status is everything. Draco's young, and easily influenced by his father. He hasn't been pushed as yet, to make a choice. If and when the time comes, Draco will choose a side, and give that side his complete loyalty, of that I am certain. In the meantime, he is what he is – a mouthy swot with too much money and not enough knowledge to know that absolute power isn't everything he thinks it's cracked up to be._**

**_Why don't you think you have the talent that Johnson and Spinet do? I've played against you, remember? You're quick on a broom, and you're agile. You always managed to out-fly many of the other Chasers easily._**

**_If not Quidditch, what are you planning on doing after school?_**

**_Marcus._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_Coming from you, that is quite the compliment. But no...I don't miss it like I thought I would. I'll always love the game, but playing it? I haven't really enjoyed playing since we fell. You said a while ago that we get back in the air, and that we chase the wind. After I fell, it took everything I had in me to get back on my broom, and I often wonder if getting back in the air was something I should have done. Watching you on a broom, Marcus, is like poetry, you know? You were born to fly. I just don't feel that way about it anymore._

_What did you mean by Malfoy choosing a side? He's all about blood status – or do you not remember him calling Hermione Granger a Mud-blood in his second year? I certainly do. It seems he made his choice._

_I was thinking of heading into Medi-witchery and Healing after school. I'm just not sure yet._

_Katie._

**_Dear Katie,_**

**_If Medi-Witchery is what you want to head into, you should talk to Professor Snape. He will be able to tell you which areas you should concentrate on. Or if that makes you hunch your shoulders, then talk to Madam Pomfrey. You'd be brilliant at healing, Katie._**

**_As for Draco, don't be so certain. He's good at running off at the mouth, and being surrounded by the people he's friends with, has clouded his judgment. He'll learn who he can trust as he gets older._**

**_Marcus._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_Malfoy's just like the rest of them – unless you have pure blood in your veins, you aren't worth noticing, unless of course, it is to insult the utter shite out of them._

_Do you really think I'll be good at healing?_

_Katie._

**_In a word? Yes. Happy birthday. I hope you have a great day. M._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_Thank you for your birthday wishes, and yes, I did have a great day; my housemates made sure of it. I saw you in the Daily Prophet the other day – it was brilliant to read about your first game. Congratulations._ _Did you enjoy it?_

_The first tournament was held yesterday – they used bloody dragons! I guess that's why Charlie Weasley was home over the holidays. Harry was brilliant, but there is still a lot of anger that he is competing at all. Cedric Diggory was the other student chosen by the Cup. He's the Seeker for Hufflepuff, and has done remarkably well._

_Katie._

_Dear Marcus,_

_How's your season going? I know you've been very busy – I've read more about you in the Daily Prophet over the last three months, than at any other time._

_I spoke at length with Madam Pomfrey, as you suggested, and she said the same thing that you did – I would be better off speaking with Professor Snape. I'm thinking about asking to speak to him after Potions this week._

_The tournament is going well, and the other students have settled in well at our school. Even Victor Krum is here, not that he has much to say. I see him the library a fair bit – he tends to keep to himself, and has taken to sitting where you used to sit. I think he's actually shy, rather than snobby, which was what I first thought when I met him._

_I hope you're well, Marcus._

_Katie._

**_Bell;_**

**_You are fairly good at judging people without knowing who or what makes them tick, aren't you._**

**_M._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_What did you mean? When you said I was good at judging people? Are you angry?_

_Kate._

**_Bell;_**

**_Why would I be angry? After all, I'm just a Slytherin – we're all the same. All brawn and cruelty, and no real emotion, right?_**

**_M._**

_I didn't mean it like that! You know I didn't mean you!_

**_Didn't you? Or do you not remember another one of our conversations? The one where you couldn't believe that I though You-Know-Who was a stark raving idiot! We might be born with pure blood, Bell, but not all of us believe in wiping out the rest of the Wizarding population! That's the problem with Hogwarts, and why Dumbledore will never be able to achieve House Unity – while Slytherin are indeed prejudice and believe in the old ways, the rest of the houses are prejudice against us – they think we're all killers in the making._**

**_M._**

_Marcus, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You have to believe that. I know how you feel about You-Know-Who, and what happened to your family because of him._

_Katie._

**_Let it go, Bell._**

**_M._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_I can't let it go. Why does writing about this make it so awkward? It was so much easier when you were still at school with me – we could have had this conversation face to face! It might have resulted in a few choice insults being thrown back and forth, but that would be a lot better than this stilted conversation._

_Katie._

**_It's awkward, because they are words on paper, Bell. Just that...words. Besides, the last time we were face to face at school, I kissed you. I've only seen you twice since then, and both times we were aware of each other in a whole new manner. That is why this is so awkward._**

**_M._**

_Dear Marcus,_

_Yes. Yes, you did kiss me. And you visited me. And you have been nothing but up front and honest with me since I first woke up in the hospital wing with you. Maybe I should do the same._

_I hate walking these halls, knowing that you aren't here. I hate reading the Daily Prophet, and seeing pictures of you out with other witches. I hate that you believe we can't be together because of my age, yet neither of us can seem to let go. I miss sitting down to dinner, and watching you across the table; watching you watch me in return, while we both silently wonder why none of our house-mates pick up on the fact we are friends. I miss our conversations. I miss you._

_Katie._

**_Damn it, Katie, why did you have to admit that? Do you really want to have this conversation?_**

_Yes, Marcus, I do. I really do. Why? Why can't we be together?_

**_You know why we can't be together, Katie. Do you think that I don't feel the same way? I know about the pictures and the stories in the paper – the pictures of me with other witches, and the articles speculating on whether or not I'm fucking them after we've had dinner. Do you honestly think that I don't read those articles the next day, and feel sick at the thought of you sitting down over breakfast and reading the exact same article as me? I picture the hurt on your face, the look in your eyes that you always get when you're trying to hide how hurt you are, and I feel like I'm headed for a Dementor's kiss for doing the one thing I swore I wouldn't do._**

**_I know it hurts you. Circe's hell, Katie, I think about the boys who'd walk the halls of Hogwarts with you, and then I think about them looking at you the way I do, and I can honestly say that I'd cheerfully survive a stint in Azkaban for murder, if it meant that they'd never look at you that way again. I think about you spending time with Lee Jordan, and wonder if I'd get away with ripping his eyeballs out when you go swimming together like we did that day over your summer holidays._**

**_I know you think that I'm being overly cautious. But I'm not. I'm trying to do the right thing here. I'm not only protecting my own arse from landing in Azkaban, I'm trying to protect your reputation too, Katie. Because if we entered into a relationship, your privacy would be non-existent. Why do you think I Appirated to your home town that day? The same reason I live in London. Once you reach the level I have in the public eye, your every move is recorded and speculated over. I don't want that for you, Katie. Not while you are still in school, and I'm not there to keep the gossipers at bay._**

**_Now take it deeper, Katie. Do you really think I could give you up after having you? Do you really think I could let you slip away after stealing few kisses in some darkened hall? It would eventually lead to me fucking you, consequences and your age be damned; there are nights where I lay in bed, and say fuck it all, I want you. I want you more than I want my career. I want you more than some nameless, faceless witch that I fucked after we had dinner in France or Italy. You're worth throwing it all away for._**

**_But we can't, Katie._**

**_Don't push me on this. It's hard enough as it is._**

_I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. For someone who is as quiet as you are, you have a way with words, Marcus, that make me feel inferior, and so unworthy. But your feelings don't scare me, and they never will. Since the day I woke up with you by my side, I've always felt safe when it came to you. But right at this point in time, I could cheerfully kick you in the shins. I know you're doing this for the right reasons; I just wish you wouldn't. I just wish you were still here._

**_There are days, Katie that I wish I was still there too. How's the tournament going?_**

_Dear Marcus,_

_The tournament is doing well. The second task is coming up soon, as is the Yule Ball. When we found out about it, Lee and I agreed to go together. Much easier to go with your friend, than with a complete stranger. I wish you were here though; I wish we could sit down over a Butter-beer and laugh it off. I wish…_

_Katie._


	15. Chapter 15

Author's note:

I realize that in the book, that the Yule Ball is held on the 25th of December. For future chapter purpose though, the Yule Ball in this fic is held on the 21st of December, which allows me to set other events in motion. So enjoy. xx

15.

_The sheet was cool beneath her back, the only light coming from the fire that was crackling in the hearth. Marcus' breath was hot against the curve of her throat, his weight pressing her down into the coolness of silk sheets. Katie's breath hitched as he scraped his teeth across the curve of her throat, sending a forbidden thrill through her as she arched against the delicious pain. He chuckled darkly when her fingertips dug into his shoulders, the sound causing her to shiver as he dragged his teeth across her throat again. _

"_You like that, hmm? My girl's a deviant." _

_She felt her body shudder at the gravely tone of his voice, and he chuckled knowingly. His body shifted slowly, his heat withdrawing from her in a sinful caress as he knelt up in the flickering light. His eyes were so dark they appeared black, and his hair was messy from her hands running through it. His lips twitched with amusement as he slowly skimmed his hands up her thighs, causing her to shift restlessly under him. _

"_Do you even know what I'm going to do to you, Katie?" he murmured as he lightly trailed his fingertips across the back of her knee, and along the sensitive skin of her thigh. Goose bumps broke out in the wake of his touch, and when his fingers briefly dug into her skin, she was unable to stop the soft sound that spilled from her swollen lips. _

_She shook her head in answer to his question as she watched the light play over the smooth skin of his chest and stomach. Gleaming muscle, shadowed dips, and angular curves made him a beautiful specimen of man. She blushed when he pressed his hand to his chest and slowly dragged it down over his stomach, to where he toyed briefly with the fastening of his pants. His soft laughter rang in her ears when she lifted her eyes to his, and he dropped forward onto his hands, so his body created a cage above hers._

_Lowering his head, he flicked the tip of his tongue over her lips, and then lifted his head when she tried to kiss him. His lips curved, and his eyes glinted as he stared down at her. And when he lowered that smooth body to hers, he twisted his hips against hers to create more room between her thighs. He settled there, and then looked up at from under dark lashes as he leant forward to kiss her again. His voice echoed between them, just as his mouth gently touched hers; dark, gravely, and filled with cruelty. _

"_I'm going to break you." _

The sharp, quick rap of a beak on the window woke Katie with a jolt, and she turned her head towards the noise while biting back a scream. The large eagle owl who hovered outside her window hooted softly, and Katie groaned again as she rubbed her hands briskly over her face. Just a dream… She slipped out of bed and crossed the room, all the while telling herself, the chills she had were from the coolness of the room. Opening the window, Katie slowly stretched out her hand and spoke softly as the owl hopped lightly towards her. Katie ran the tip of her finger down over the owl's soft head, and smiled when it turned its head and nipped gently at her fingertips in greeting. The letter it carried dropped on her window ledge, and Katie ran her hand down over the majestic creatures back, before it spread its wings and spiralled into the brisk morning wind with a soft hoot. Closing her window carefully, Katie tiptoed back to bed and curled under the covers as she fingered the seal on Marcus' latest letter.

"Don't be daft, Katie Bell!" she scolded herself, when she felt a trickle of trepidation run down her spine. "It was just a stupid, bloody dream!"

Breaking the seal, Katie let her lips curve into a smile when she saw Marcus' familiar scrawl, and she snuggled lower into her bedding, recalling the tone of his voice as she read his latest letter.

_**Dear Katie,**_

_**I hope this finds you curled up warm and safe in bed. I wish I was still in bed myself right now, rather than facing the training schedule I've got this morning. I'd almost risk betting my entire fortune that Coach trained to be as sadistic as possible, before he accepted the position. But that being said, his methods do get results!**_

_**I didn't get your owl until just now. I went out with the team last night, and didn't get in until late. Thank Merlin for a healthy dose of Pepper Up, otherwise I reckon I'd be dead come lunch. What's on the schedule for you today? Have you spoken to Snape yet? You know he's not as scary as he seems.**_

_**Not long now until you finish up for the Christmas break. I've got a few days off myself, and fancy a walk along a winter beach. Leigh-on-Sea is supposed to be spectacular at this time of year. You'll have to show me.**_

_**I'd better be going. Coach is a real stickler for punctuality, and I don't fancy running laps or doing suicide rolls on my broom for being a minute late.**_

_**Katie? I wish too.**_

_**Marcus.**_

Katie sighed as she folded the letter up, and slipped it into the draw beside her bed that contained all of Marcus' letters. When her dorm-mate Leeann sat up in bed and yawned, Katie quickly closed the draw. A careful locking charm later, and she slipped out of bed to start getting ready for her day. She didn't like the idea of what her day held – she had a meeting straight after breakfast with Professor Snape. He had peered down at her through black eyes while she stammered out her request after Potions the day before, only to nod and agree to a private meeting.

Breakfast was a cheerful affair, and Katie grinned at Lee when he sat down across her. She idly wondered if Snape would accept over eating and nausea as an excuse for skipping their meeting, and then shook her head at herself. The morning owl post arrived, and Katie automatically picked her pumpkin juice up as packages, letters and newspapers rained down from the sky. Lavender Brown squealed as she snatched up her copy of Witch Weekly. The blonde turned towards Padma Patil and opened the gossip magazine with something akin to reverence. Katie snorted softly as she turned back to her breakfast, and tried to ignore the sighs of jealousy and delight that were coming from the two younger Gryffindor's.

"So, what are we doing today?" a voice asked, and Katie grunted as one of the twins physically moved her along the bench seat towards Lavender. "Blowing up Snape's potion cupboard? Sending some jinxed chocolates to Malfoy? Convincing Peeves to play a prank with us? Because inquiring minds want to know!" he continued, squeezing in next to Katie.

Katie examined him closely for a moment, and then shook her head.

"Not the potion cupboard, please, George. I have a meeting with Professor Snape after breakfast."

George grinned at her, and raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know I'm not Fred?" he asked, and Katie snickered.

"Because I doubt Fred would let his own twin get away with snogging Angelina," she said wisely, and George turned his head and then grimaced.

"Oi! Get a room already!" he called, and had the satisfaction of watching Fred jerk away from Angelina with a startled oath.

Katie started laughing as Angelina blushed, and Fred threw a bread-roll across the table at George. Turning back to face Lee with a small smile, Katie felt her smile falter at the sight of the Daily Prophet he was holding. She blinked once, a slow closing and opening of her eyes. Nevertheless, the pictures remained the same, and Katie shuddered. The moving pictures caused her stomach to shift violently, her eyes riveted to the paper as she watched the group of players drink glasses of Fire Whiskey, while groupies giggled behind their hands. She watched as a witch with lavish curves rose from Marcus' lap, and held her hand out to him with invitation and promise shinning in her eyes as he rose to his feet and took her offered hand with a smirk.

"Katie?" Lee asked his dark gaze intense over the top of the newspaper. Puzzled by her sudden quietness, he stared at her as Katie licked her lips and her eyes slowly rose to the headlines. The words burnt themselves into her brain, and her breath hitched almost silently as she slowly read the accompanying article.

_**Marcus Flint - consistently scoring both on and off the field.**_

_**The Falcon's newest senior recruit was seen in France last night, enjoying more than fine cuisine.**_

_**Mr Flint's well known for his spectacular Quidditch abilities;**_

_**He enjoys all the lifestyle offers him, including the bevy of beautiful, sophisticated witches he is often seen with.**_

_**Will Sophia Dalian be able to capture the young wizard's heart?**_

_**Will she become yet another of the many witches gracing the young player's arm since joining his team?**_

_**Whatever the outcome, life has been good to the Falcon's newest recruit.**_

Katie stood up slowly as her stomach heaved again, and turned towards the double doors that led out of the Great Hall.

"Katie?" Angelina called, and Katie shook her head as she walked stiffly away amid startled murmurs from her housemates.

She continued to walk, ignoring the calls of her friends and headed down towards the lake. The flat section of rock brought a small feeling of comfort and familiarity, and drawing her knees up to her chin, Katie stared out across the water in silence. This wasn't the first time she had seen pictures of Marcus with other witches. It wasn't the first time she had felt the slow curl of anger in her stomach, or the hot flush of jealousy. Marcus had freely admitted that he was seeing other witches. That he was spending the occasional night with a witch. And as Katie sat by the edge of the lake, she brushed away a stray tear and laughed bitterly.

She had no real reason to be upset. He wasn't her boyfriend. It wasn't like he was cheating on her. But it still hurt non-the-less. It still hurt to know, that all though they shared a connection, that Marcus was still right; they couldn't be together. Not openly, and not in a way that Marcus preferred. He had too much respect for her, and his utter belief in what was right and wrong kept them apart, no matter how they felt about it. While he might want her above anything else, he wouldn't put her reputation and his freedom before that. And in that very moment, Katie very much wanted to hate him for it.

She'd get over it, she mused silently. She'd get over it, and they'd continue on the way they had - she'd continue to answer his owls and write her own. She'd do her level best to ignore the flutters in her stomach every time his owl tapped at her window. She'd smile and laugh when she next saw him over the Christmas holidays. She'd attend the Yule Ball in a few days, and she'd enjoy herself with her friends. But the dent her heart had received was still painful, and would continue to be so for several days to come.

XxXxXxXxX

The night of the Yule Ball was a cool one, and Katie shivered slightly as she made her way down the stairs from Gryffindor Tower. Angelina had spent an hour helping her do her hair and glamor spells, and as Katie turned down the last of the stairs and caught sight of Lee waiting for her, she held her breath as his friendly gaze swept over her from the top of her curled head, to the tips of her ivory clad feet.

"You scrub up all right there, Katie," he said cheerfully offering her his arm, and Katie couldn't help the laughter that escaped her lips as she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.

The candles flickered beautifully against the ice sculptures, and cast a dreamy glow over the Great Hall. As they entered the Great Hall, Lee led Katie straight out to the dance floor. Grasping her hand and waist, Lee launched them into the crush of people who were dancing and spun her across the floor. After the first dance was over, George cut in and made her laugh helplessly with tales of how silly Pansy Parkinson looked in her stiff pink taffeta robes, and how many times Hermione Granger had blushed over Viktor Krum, before he passed her out of his arms into the arms of his twin. It was Fred who peered a little closer, and who asked her softly if she was all right. His concerns were deflected with a smile and a careless shrug as she told him that she was fine.

For a long hour she danced and twirled, ignorant to those around her as the steady beat of the Weird Sisters echoed in her ears. For once house unity was gone, and she openly grinned when Adrian Pucey twirled her under his arm and then told her with the drawl of pure blood supremacy that showed his class and wealth, that she looked fucking delectable if she wouldn't mind pardoning his manners. And as she enjoyed a dance that required dancing with several different males during the sweeping turns, Katie relaxed even further. Turning from Roger Davies arms into the arms of her next partner, Katie looked up with a smile only to have that smile freeze on her face. The world shrunk to contain just him and her, and her lips parted on a whisper.

"Marcus."

Marcus' hand tightened around hers as he turned her under his arm, and he silently led her through the next stage of the dance. His eyes were cool, his face a passive mask as he stared down at her through shuttered eyes. Yet when his hand slowly scraped across the smooth skin of her exposed back, she heard him swear softy. Eloquently. But the music was finishing, and he turned to her and bowed as the dance finished. The heat that Katie saw in his eyes caused her breath to hitch as Marcus straightened up slowly. Tiling his head cordially, Katie watched as his gaze flicked towards the balconies that lined the great hall. Those stormy eyes slid back to lock with hers, and when Katie nodded at the silent message his eyes had conveyed, he turned and walked away.

XxXxXxXxX

Marcus stood in the flickering candlelight, and swirled the flame coloured whiskey in his glass with a tense hand as he stared silently out at the crowded hall. She was dressed simply in a pale peach coloured robe that left her shoulders and half of her back bare to his hungry gaze. She'd looked so untouchable when she first walked into the hall on Lee Jordan's arm. So beautifully innocent. So fucking delicious, that he'd had to clench his hands into fists, so he wouldn't charge across the room and grab her. Force her into the shadows, and seat her on a ledge somewhere. Smooth that filmy gown up those long, long legs, and her age be damned, bury his cock in her while swallowing her cries. Fuck her and kiss her; mark that creamy skin until she forgot what she thought she'd seen, and she remembered that she belonged to _him_.

Her robes had been modest, but they had hinted at what the filmy material clung to. Soft, sexy curves and legs that he was sure were illegally long. Her hair was swept up in some curled confection, and Marcus had stared at the slender line for her bare throat for longer than was socially acceptable if the elbow that Adrian had driven into his gut was anything to go by. But even that elbow hadn't been enough to stop him staring at soft pink lips that had been pliant under his the one time he had tasted them, and held a sweetness that had left him craving. He had watched as they curved in smile, but the blinding brightness of her smile was slightly dimmer than normal. Those soft pink lips had caught his attention and kept it.

And while he had been able to get away with it with Adrian, he had had to fight to keep his thoughts clear and his mind on task when his former Head of House had joined him for a glass of Ogden's finest, a dangerous thing to do indeed. Snape's eyes had glittered in the flickering light, and more than once Marcus had felt the brush of his Head's mind against his own. Marcus had allowed stray thoughts of Quidditch practice and his life outside of Hogwarts to slither through his mind; maybe it had worked, because Snape had seemed satisfied when they parted company, allowing Marcus to breathe a little easier as his attention returned to the girl who crowded his mind all too often.

Katie was innocent enough to believe she had hidden her hurt from him, but after writing back and forth with her for well over six months now, he was well versed in the emotions she was so desperately trying to hide from him. Her words in her return owl had been too formal; too stilted in the flow of ink across the parchment, and it had left him perplexed for several hours. It was only as he read the Daily Prophet that evening over his dinner that he realized why. Sophia Dalian had certainly held appeal. But what the Prophet had failed to report, was that Marcus had walked her to the Apparitionpoint and bade her farewell, before returning to his team-mates and drinking the remainder of the night away. He had gone to bed alone, with Katie clouding his dreams and leaving him reaching for her phantom figure in his bed as dawn split the sky.

He hadn't told Katie that he was a guest to the Yule Ball on the off chance that he would be unable to attend. But now he was beginning to regret that decision. He had seen the hurt in her eyes she had been unable to completely hide when she had looked up at him; had seen the humiliation that had stained her cheeks as her eyes swept across his face and down to his chest. And as he waited for her to join him on the balcony, he wondered if the lies that the Prophet always told were going to destroy the faith Katie held in him. It took a further two glasses of Ogden's for Katie to slip into the shadows of the balcony with him; her eyes were shuttered and her lower lip trembled once even as she smiled up at him in greeting.

"I know what you saw," he murmured in way of greeting, and Katie tilted her head and lowered her eyes; no pretences with his girl.

Glancing towards the dance floor, Marcus reached out and drew Katie further into the shadows with him.

"It's not what you think, Katie," he said softly, and when her eyebrows drew together in confusion, Marcus gripped her chin and tilted her face up so that he could see her eyes. "The pictures you would have seen in the Prophet? It's not what you think," he said again, and as Katie's eyes searched his, Marcus lightly dragged his thumb across the corner of her mouth.

Looking down at her, standing as close together in the shadows as they were, Marcus was able to see the stain of colour that stole across Katie's cheekbones at his touch, and he cursed softly as he glanced over his shoulder again as laughter drifted passed the balcony.

"Come with me; we'll get a room down at the Hog's Head," he whispered, and when Katie's eyebrows drew together in confusion, Marcus was unable to stop himself reaching out to draw his finger along the crease between her brows.

"What... Marcus?"

"Come with me," he whispered again, gesturing towards the wide doors of the Great Hall with his hand.

"I can't leave school, Marcus; they have wards up to prevent it," Katie murmured as she took a step closer to him, and Marcus closed his eyes momentarily as her scent clouded his mind.

"We need to talk face to face," he whispered, as Katie unconsciously slipped her hand into his. "I don't care _where_ we talk, Katie. I don't care if I have to break into Gryffindor tower at three am…. I need to talk to you."

Katie stared up at him silently for a tense minute before she finally nodded in agreement. It took everything he had to step back from her, and walk away. So intent on getting outside, Marcus missed the two different pairs of eyes that followed his exit from the balcony. And when Katie slipped out of the shadows a minute later, only the owner of the golden eyes wasn't surprised. Adrian tilted the glass in his hand at Marcus' retreating figure with a smirk, before turning his attention back to his date. Across the floor, however, Lee's eyes narrowed and he cursed silently under his breath as he watched Katie slip out of the Great Hall after Marcus.


	16. Chapter 16

I don't always have the time to answer the reviews that you guys so kindly leave me each week, but I wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate the fact that you continue to read. It means a great deal. But my point, one of my readers **Etoile Black** said "Btw my mental picture of Katie is crystal clear now - before she was a mix but nothing solid." And I realized that you guys had no idea how I picture Katie….so there's a link to the banner on my profile, if will allow me to paste it in, so you can link to it….fingers crossed! I have no idea who the girl is, but I came across her picture one day several years ago, and bang… Katie Bell as I pictured her.

And if any of you guys listen to music while reading or writing, listen to "Disintegration" by Jimmy Eat World while reading this chapter – it was what I had on repeat the entire time. Love to you all. xxx

16.

It was ironic, Katie thought silently as Marcus led her down a dimly lit hall. It was ironic that she would have this conversation with him in the same alcove he had warned her and Lee against using all that time ago. But then Marcus ducked into that same opening in the wall and turned to face her, the thought fled her mind when she saw the look on his face. Marcus withdrew his wand and cast a Disillusionment Charm over the alcove as Katie rubbed her hands over her bare arms in an effort to warm her skin.

"I walked her to the Apparition point, Katie," he began with no preamble, as he waved his wand a second time and cast a warming spell. "You would have seen that. What they failed to report was that I didn't go home with her. I didn't go home with Sophia. I went home and I went to bed alone."

Katie swallowed hard, and moistened her lower lip slightly as hope flared warmly in her chest at the raw honesty she saw on his face. And when Marcus stepped closer to her, she reached out and briefly touched the back of his hand. A faint smile brushed Marcus' mouth when she slipped her hand into his again, and Katie took an unconscious step towards him as she looked up at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming tonight?" she asked softly, and Marcus reached out to skim a fingertip across a stray curl that brushed her collarbone.

"I wasn't sure I could make it," he admitted hoarsely as he drew his finger down over the smooth skin of her shoulder. "My nights are usually spent studying Quidditch moves, and soaking away the pain of training."

Katie nodded silently as she stared up at him. And when he took another step towards her, she saw the fractional dilation of his eyes as she moistened her lower lip with the tip of her tongue.

"But you wanted to come?" she whispered, and Marcus laughed softly when he heard her unasked question. Had he wanted to come with her…?

"Yes. I wanted," he murmured, and when a blush stole across Katie's cheekbones as her lips curved in pleasure, Marcus fought to remember why he had said they couldn't do this.

Before he could finish that thought, voices echoed in the darkened hall way. Katie's eyes widened as Marcus held his finger up to her lips, and he stepped out of the alcove only to hear his name called in surprise.

"Marcus! I didn't know you were coming tonight, how wonderful to see you!"

Cecilia Warrington paused before Marcus with her date, her eyes glinting slyly as Marcus tilted his head in greeting. In the alcove, Katie held her breath, and hoped that the silent Disillusionment spell Marcus had cast would hold, and keep her safely hidden.

"What are you doing out here alone?" Cecilia murmured as she traced her eyes over the physical changes she could see in him.

Marcus shrugged silently in answer, and Cecilia smiled slightly before patting her date on the arm and telling him to go ahead without her. She'd re-join him in a few minutes. The Slytherin boy glanced at Marcus with something akin to reverence in his eyes, before he nodded and continued up the hall. As his footsteps faded, Cecilia peeked up at Marcus from under her lashes, and stepping closer, laid her hand against his chest.

"I haven't heard from you," she murmured, and Marcus stepped back slightly, the muscle in his jaw jumping slightly as Cecilia slowly trailed her fingertips down over his chest to his stomach.

"I've been busy," he muttered, and she laughed softly.

"Too busy to write to me?" she purred, and Marcus snorted at her forwardness.

"My free time is hours far and few between, Cecilia," he said quietly, and Cecilia smiled slightly.

"Yet you have the time to go drinking in Paris," she purred, and Marcus shook his head slightly as his eyes strayed to where Katie was hidden.

"When the owner of your team says jump, Cecilia, you jump," he said flatly. "They tend to not pay you when you don't do as you are told."

"Yet here you are tonight," she said with another smile, and Marcus cocked his eyebrow as he stared down at her.

"What do you want?" he asked bluntly, and when she smiled coyly and trailed her fingertips from his stomach to his cock, Marcus shook his head even as she traced the length of him through the fine woollen pants he wore.

"I'm not interested, Cecilia," he said coolly as he stepped back out of her reach.

Cecilia laughed softly in disbelief, and licked the corner of her lips slowly.

"Since when aren't you interested in a little fun?" she asked and Marcus snickered softly as he lowered his voice.

"I can smell the scent of your dates cum on your breath, Cecilia; it tends to be a bit of a turn off," he said, and smirked slightly when Cecilia jerked back from him as humiliation stained her cheeks. "I'm here as a _guest_, Cecilia, _not_ to look for a wife. Go and play with your date."

Marcus might have graduated, but Cecilia understood the rules within her House. She'd been dismissed, and no amount of coyness on her part would change his mind. Tilting her head, she stepped closer to him; rising up onto her tiptoes, she tried to press a kiss to Marcus' clenched jaw, only to have him tilt his head out of her reach. With a soft sigh and a final glance at him, she made her way back to the Great Hall. Marcus waited until her footsteps had faded before he turned back to face Katie, only to be met with her fury as she tried to step past him.

"Katie, where are you going?" he asked, and Katie glared up at him.

"I'm going back to my own date. After all, you're here as a _guest_," she bit out, and Marcus snarled in frustration as he shoved his hands through his hair.

"Don't twist my words, Bell, that's not what I meant," he ground out, and Katie snorted in disbelief.

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm blind, Marcus?' she asked, and then gestured down the hall. "Are you trying to tell me that you haven't been with her? Because I might be a _pure little virgin_, but I'm not stupid!"

"What's she got to do with here and now? When in Circe's hell did she become a deciding factor with you and me?" Marcus asked in bewilderment, and Katie laughed bitterly.

"She's right down there, Marcus, all that you require in a woman…beautiful, full-breasted and of the legal age to have sex with you. Go to _her_. Go on. I don't want to do this anymore."

Katie's blood burned as she shoved fiercely against his chest, rocking him back a step as she tried to slip past him. Marcus' face was set in mutinous lines, his expression a mixture of disbelief, anger and frustration as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the alcove with him.

"You don't really mean that…you _want_ me," he hissed, his blazing eyes daring her to deny it.

"Does that matter? You don't want to want _me_, remember?" Katie spat at him.

She spun away from him, her shoulders hunching and her head lowering as Marcus swallowed heavily behind her. And when he stepped closer to her and covered her shoulders with his hands, Katie fought him for a minute before she finally allowed him to slowly turn her back to face him. He ran his fingertip down over her cheek, following the trail an unwillingly shed tear had left behind as she stared up at him with humiliation staining her cheeks. And when his fingers didn't leave her skin, when they continued to lightly feather across her jaw, Katie finally reached up and covered his fingers with her own.

"_Why?_" she whispered, and Marcus shook his head as he tried to form the words to make her understand. Katie turned her face into the palm of his hand, causing his words came out in a stutter as her lips lightly brushed across his skin.

"You… you're barely sixteen, Katie. I can't touch you, no matter how much... Merlin, what do you want me to say?" he asked helplessly, as he brushed his thumb across her lower lip. "Don't you dare think that I don't want you. You've got no idea just how much... There's only one face I see when I'm with a witch," he said brokenly.

Katie closed her eyes as his voice washed over her, her eyebrows drawing together painfully at his whispered confession.

"Don't tell me things like that..." she whispered as humiliation burned her cheekbones and another tear escaped her tightly shut eyes and slid down her cheek.

His fingertips feathered across her cheek gently as her voice broke, and then smoothed her hair back. He tucked it behind her ear, and traced the swelling under her eyes as her breath hitched painfully in her chest. And when his knuckles grazed her cheek again, Katie finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. He looked as gruff as always, and his voice shimmered with anger and barely repressed violence, belying the gentleness with which he touched her.

"Believe me, I've had the pretty, sophisticated witches, who fuck like a pro," Marcus ground out, as if the words physically hurt him to voice. "Witches who are easier, and don't treat me like I'm evil incarnate because a girl who sucked my cock a lifetime ago offered me a repeat. Those witches are good for one thing, Katie, which is a quick, impersonal fuck. Those are the witches whose name you've forgotten the minute you walk out their door. You, though? You're like a fucking drug, one I know I should give up. But I'm weak. _Addicted._

"I wake up reaching for you in the middle of the night, and curse myself a fool for it when you're not there. I go to sleep at night imagining our future, away from here, from Hogwarts. I dream about all the things I want to do to you, that I want to teach you. I feel your hands on me in my dreams, and I wake up with my cock in my hand and your name on my lips. I know I should walk away from you, Katie, and get on with my life. But I can't," he said softly as his voice trailed off. He reached up and slowly traced his fingertip down over her cheek again. "I can't, and neither can you. Because you're as obsessed as I am," he said finally as his hand fell back down to his side, where he clenched it into a fist as he looked away from her.

Katie lifted her chin, her eyes glinting slightly as she stared up at him.

"You keep reminding me that I'm a child, Marcus," she began, drawing his gaze back towards her. "Need I remind you that I'm sixteen now? That's the same age as the girl you just dismissed would have been when you took up with her, if you did so in your final year. I might not have the experience that you're used to, but what I do have, is courage. I'm not scared to be with you, if that's what you want. I'm not scared to keep it a secret, until I'm of age. I'm not scared of how you make me feel, even though I know I should be. I'm not scared of the power you seem to hold here, and I'm not scared of how much you want me."

When Marcus continued to stare at her silently, Katie slowly reached out to brush his face with her fingers.

"Do you really want to leave here tonight, after telling me all of these things, and just go back to being friends?" she asked softly. "Do you want to know that the nameless, faceless witches that aren't enough for you, is all you have to look forward too? Do you want to know that I'd been asked by several different boys to come to the Yule Ball with them, but that I chose Lee because I know he's had a crush on Padma Patil since last year; that makes him _safe_, Marcus, because I don't want to worry about another boy thinking I like him, when I know I'm already half way in love with _you_. What I am scared of though, is walking away from you tonight and never feeling like this again," she finished.

Marcus groaned and pressed his fingers against his eyes for a minute. And when he finally looked back at Katie, she saw a mix of anger and resignation on his face. The look in his eyes had barely registered with her, before his jaw clenched and he stepped closer to her.

"Marcus…" Katie began, only to falter when he shook his head and expelled a harsh breath.

"Shhh…don't. _Don't._ I'm going to burn in hell for this... just let me…Katie…" he groaned, and reaching out to cup the back of her neck, he pulled her towards him.

"You're too young," he whispered angrily and then he bent his head and kissed her.

His grip on her promised to leave bruises, while his mouth hinted at barely controlled desperation as he pulled her the rest of the way into his embrace. Banding his arm around her waist, he caught her chin with his free hand; angling her head to suit him best, Marcus began to back Katie towards the wall as her lips parted beneath his. Expelling a harsh breath through his nose, Marcus hauled her up on tiptoe, fisted his hand in her hair, and groaned into her mouth when her tongue touched his. Katie clutched at the material that covered his chest. She felt him turning her, her soft cry swallowed by his mouth as her back thudded against the wall, and he leaned into her. Gasping, she turned her head, breaking the kiss; her breath shuddered out in a series of quick pants as Marcus' lips dragged across her cheekbone, and then down the side of her throat. There was a hint of violence in him as his teeth scraped her skin, followed by the wet rasp of his tongue as his fingers dug into her lower back.

"So… sweet," Marcus muttered thickly as he lifted his head.

"Marcus..." Katie murmured, trying to overcome the pulsing madness and sooth the dark change in him by sweeping her fingertips across his chest. She'd known that he wanted her, but the thought vs. the reality of it were two very different things.

"Don't…" There was the tiniest hint of supplication in his voice as he tightened his hold around her, showing the tension in his arms. "Katie…"

His hand left her hair and stroked across the smooth skin of her throat to her shoulder and then slowly down to the gentle swell of her breast. His eyes followed the path his hand took, and they darkened as Katie arched up into him. His fingers smoothed across the textured chiffon of her dress, his thumb sweeping up to toy with her hardening nipple. Even as she went to speak, he was closing his lips over hers again, and mapping out the warmth of her mouth with his tongue. His thumb continued to roll her nipple, and Katie wrapped her arms around him helplessly.

"I swore I wouldn't do this," he ground out as he wrenched his mouth from hers, and smoothed his hands up her sides and cupped her face. "I promised myself that I'd wait, that I _could_ wait, but fuck… _Katie_."

Looking down at her, he took in her swollen lips, tousled hair, and the dazed look in her eyes, before he swore again, and dragged his hands down over his face. But when Katie reached up, and hesitantly traced her fingertip over the corner of his mouth, Marcus cupped her face in his hands, and dipped his head to meet her lips. A soft hum of triumph left him when she rose to her toes and met him half way. His hands swept down her side to her hips, where his fingers dug into her flesh. And as he pulled her closer, he groaned, the sound low and guttural. His tongue licked into her mouth, sliding against hers; he felt himself stir, harden, and Marcus slowly began to lose all manner of control as he slid his hand up her back and fisted it in her hair again.

The rough stone of the wall scraped his hands raw as Katie squirmed restlessly in his arms, her fingers catching the edge of his robes as she held him tightly; but when the fabric of his robes parted slightly, Katie couldn't help herself. She pulled back from the intensity of Marcus' mouth, and lightly brushed her fingertips over the smooth skin she had unwittingly bared when the top clasp of the fine woollen robes he wore had come undone. Marcus' breath hitched as his fingers dug into her hips, before he leaned against her again as she rose slightly up on tiptoe to press her lips shyly against his.

The kiss didn't remain shy and chaste though, and Marcus began to unconsciously rock his hips as he licked his way back into her mouth. Barely aware of anything but the girl in his arms, and the taste of her on his tongue, Marcus froze when the tip of a wand unexpectedly dug into the skin of his throat. He slowly broke away from the kiss he was sharing with Katie, and ignoring the soft whimper that left her lips, he lifted his head slowly as the wand tip twisted against his flesh. Katie froze in his arms, and when the tip of wood left his skin, Marcus turned his head slightly and met Lee's glittering gaze.

"I swear to Godrick, Flint, if you don't let her go, I'll curse you into St Mungo's."

Lee's voice shook slightly as did his wand hand as he kept the slim wood trained on Marcus. Marcus' hand slowly slid across the back of Katie's neck as he turned to face Lee, and even as Katie opened her mouth to voice a protest, Marcus' hand was flashing out and grasping the younger wizard by the throat. Lee gagged as Marcus abruptly spun him; his breath was knocked out of his lungs when his back collided with the rough stone of the wall, and he gurgled slightly when his wand was abruptly wrenched from his hand by Marcus. Marcus twirled it once in his fingers as he caught it, so that when he raised it the tip rested between Lee's eyes.

Utter silence descended on the hall, and Marcus tilted his head slightly as he stared down at Lee through onyx eyes that glittered with cold anger, and promised painful retribution as the two wizards stared at one another. The muscle in Marcus' jaw ticked several times, and as his lips parted to speak, Katie's hand slid across his wrist as she stepped into his side and tilted her head. Marcus' gaze strayed towards her, and Katie curled her fingers around his wrist as she gently tugged his wand hand down slightly.

"Marcus… let him go," she said softly, and the muscle in his jaw ticked again. Glancing back at Lee, Marcus' hand painfully tightened around his throat for a heartbeat, before he dropped his hand and glared at the younger wizard as Lee sagged forward and coughed as he dragged air into his burning lungs.

Katie tugged gently on Marcus' hand, and he turned slightly to look at her as she stared back up at him. He read the plea that shone in her eyes, and snarled softly as he glanced back at Lee. Lee's eyes were widening as he glanced between Marcus and Katie, and he gasped out a painful breath.

"You…you were… Katie's a good girl, Flint! She's a good girl, and you were…you…"

Marcus took a step forward that had Lee's jaw snapping shut, and Marcus laughing bitterly.

"That's probably the smartest thing you've done, Jordan," he said nonchalantly, and then shook his head as his mouth twisted into a sarcastic laden smile.

"What did you think was happening?" he asked coldly. "Did you think that I was attacking Katie?" he continued. "Getting ready to rape her in the main hall of the castle? What exactly was it that you thought you were _saving_ her from?" he asked when Lee could only stutter in response. "Did you ever stop to consider that being held by me… that being _kissed_ by me was exactly where Katie wanted to be? That what you interrupted was between two consenting people and that it wasn't a case me taking advantage of your little lioness?" Marcus asked bitterly, and Lee shook his head in disbelief.

"You… whatever _that_ was, Flint, it was not consensual! How could it be?" Lee asked, as he jabbed his finger at Marcus. "It was probably more about stroking your ego; having one of Gryffindor's golden girls caught up in a web of lies and…and… for all we know, it could be one huge practical joke designed to hurt Katie, because I seem to remember that she was one of your favourite targets when you were here!"

"_Silencio."_

Lee grabbed his throat when his voice abruptly disappeared, but he shrank back at the look on Marcus' face when the older wizard twirled Lee's wand in his hand again.

"Do _not_ try putting those types of ideas in her head again," he warned softly. "Katie knows how I feel. I know how she feels. Just because you're too blind to see this for what it is, doesn't give you the right to cheapen it _or_ her. Open your eyes, Jordan! I've been gone from here for more than six months! Do you _really_ think Katie's the type of girl who would go around kissing random wizards she once played Quidditch with?" he snarled with a savage sweep of Lee's wand that ended the spell he had cast.

Lee's lips parted, but all that came out was a stutter of confusion and air as Marcus tossed Lee's wand towards him. Lee fumbled for it, yet the wand still clattered to the ground as Marcus stepped back and then glanced at Katie.

"I'd better go, Katie, before he manages to gather enough wit to scream out that you're being violated," he said with another scornful look in Lee's direction.

"Marcus…"

He smiled then at the soft plea in her voice, and ignoring the disbelief on Lee's face, traced his fingers across her jaw so that he was cradling the back of her skull before he dropped a chaste kiss on her upturned mouth, that ended with a gentle nip of his teeth on her lower lip.

"I'm staying in Hogsmead overnight. If you don't get a chance to come and see me tomorrow, I'll see you over Christmas," he breathed softly against her cheek, and when Katie's hands rose to brush over the front of his robes, Marcus curled his hand around her hip, kissed her briefly once more and gave her a gentle squeeze before he turned around and walked towards the darkness of Slytherin House.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

The noise of breakfast was filled with cheer as the students spoke over one another. Katie managed a smile when asked by Hermione if she was going to Hogsmead after breakfast, and nodded at the younger girl's innocent question. Torn between her feelings, Katie lifted her tea and took a sip of the hot liquid to hide the tremble of her lower lip. Having Marcus finally give in to his feelings and admit that he wanted her was shadowed over by the fact that Lee was yet to even speak to her. After his confrontation with Marcus the previous night, Lee had stormed away from her, after telling her that he didn't know who she was anymore. His words had cut her to the bone, and Katie had fled to Gryffindor Tower. More afraid of Lee being hurt if Marcus chose to return to check on her, Katie had hidden her tears within the darkness of her bed hangings, rather than seeking her surly Slytherin out for comfort as she would have once done. Setting her tea down Katie slowly pushed back from the table, only to pause when Fred's voice rang out.

"Where are you off to, Katie-kid?"

Looking towards Fred, Katie only just managed to hide her flinch when she met Lee's blank gaze.

"I'm going to Hogsmead," she said finally, and when Lee's face creased into a scowl, Katie lifted her chin in refusal to feel ashamed. A look of surprise crossed Fred's face, and he slowly looked between Lee and Katie as she turned around and walked away.

"What in Godric's good name was that about?" Fred asked softly, and Lee shrugged, a bitter jerk of his shoulder as he watched Katie walk towards the double doors of the great hall with her chin held high. But as she neared them, Lee's eyes narrowed when he saw Adrian Pucey cross paths with Katie and murmur something that had Katie's face clearly showing her shock before her eyes warmed and she flashed him a quick smile. Adrian laughed softly with his tongue caught between his teeth as Katie continued on her way, even as he called out something quietly that had Katie shaking her head and grinning at him over her shoulder. While Katie continued to walk straight ahead, Lee watched in confusion as Adrian glanced after her again and shook his head slightly, before he continued on his way towards the Slytherin table with amusement showing openly on his face.

"_Open your eyes, Jordan! I've been gone from here for more than six months!"_

Lee cringed as Marcus' voice echoed in his mind, and as his eyes darted between Katie's shrinking form and Adrian, the look he had seen pass between them continued to play over in his mind. He didn't know all that much about Flint or Pucey other than the fact that they seemed to be friends. Close friends who would share secrets. Friends like Fred and George were to him. Like Katie was. For the remainder of breakfast, the look between Adrian and Katie continued to play over in his mind, along with what he had seen the night before. The gentleness with which Marcus had bade Katie good-bye. The way she had been able to diffuse his anger with nothing more than a softly spoken plea. The fact that it hadn't been Flint and Bell with scorn ringing in their voices, but rather Marcus and Katie with feeling and warmth, and in Flint's case, the slightest hint of reverence that had echoed in his voice when he had spoken about Katie wanting to be held and kissed by him.

"_Lee… Do you think that…maybe…we don't really know much about those in Slytherin House? Other than what we've been told? For all we know, they might think about the possibility of uniting the Houses the same way Professor Dumbledore does…"_

"_Don't be daft, Katie! They're a bunch of twats, who love nothing more than putting the rest of us down!"_

Lee closed his eyes and groaned softly under his breath as the past conversation echoed in his mind. The look on Katie's face at the time had been shuttered, and she had mumbled something about homework before walking away with her shoulders hunched. Looking back on it now though, Lee began to wonder if Katie had been trying to tell him about Marcus and whatever it was that was going on between them. But his reaction, both then and now, had resulted in silence and a look on her face that he never wanted to see again. Sighing heavily, Lee pressed his fingers against his eyes. Katie had never lied to him before. And while she hadn't exactly lied to him, the fact that she had kept a secret of this magnitude showed him that maybe his reaction had been why she had never told him of Marcus' presence in her life. With a muttered goodbye to Fred, Lee stood up and hurried out of the Great Hall. While he couldn't change the past, maybe it wasn't too late to change the future.

XxXxXxXxX

The walk to Hogsmead was a chilly one, and Katie hunched lower into her coat as she crunched through the snow. She had a little bit of shopping left to do for Christmas; more than anything though, she wanted to see Marcus. Tucking her arms around herself, Katie lowered her head against the icy breeze as her teeth chattered; she walked down High Street, and glanced over her shoulder before heading towards the Hog's Head. It had surprised her when Adrian had freely given her the information that morning when they had crossed paths; his voice had been playful when he told her that her Christmas gift was waiting for her at the Hog's Head if she felt like taking a walk. Room four. Stepping inside the dimly lit establishment, Katie glanced around herself quickly. The Hog's Head was mostly empty, and those inside simply ignored her as Katie held her breath and slipped up the stairs. For a long minute, however, she hovered outside room four with her fists clenched and her heart in her throat before she finally gathered up the courage to knock on the door. When it swung open, Katie felt her breath hitch when she caught sight of Marcus. He was in the middle of rubbing a towel over his head; a black silk shirt stretched across his shoulders, but Marcus had yet to button it. It showed her the smooth width of his bare chest and the few stray drops of water that clung to his skin. Fine black woollen pants sat low on his slender hips, and Marcus draped the towel over his shoulder as he pulled the door open a little further.

A genuine smile crossed his face, causing his eyes to light up as he stepped back to let Katie through the door. Holding her chin up and silently hoping that he'd think her pink cheeks were due to the cold and not his state of undress, Katie brushed passed him. The crisp scent of soap teased her as Marcus closed the door behind her. Unable to help herself, Katie slowly tracked her eyes over him as she took in the numerous changes she had been content to ignore the night before. His hair was a little longer and curled slightly around his ears and across his neck as he crossed the room to drop his towel on the bed. The stubble that covered his jaw was something she had only seen on him once at school, and showed her that he had yet to cast a shaving charm. His eyes, those stormy grey mirrors to his soul were the same though, as was the wry twist of his lips when he glanced at her as he set about fastening the shirt he wore. It hugged the muscle of his chest, shoulders and back, and showed her that his arms were now more defined that they had been in school. Crossing back towards her, Marcus brushed his knuckles over her cheek gently before he reached past her towards the door. The soft snick of the lock turning caused Katie to look up at him silently as she turned to face him, and she watched as he leaned back against the door with his arms crossed. The look on his face stopped her question being voiced, and she took a step away from him as she shrugged out of her coat.

"Have you eaten?" he asked finally by way of greeting, and Katie nodded with a jerk of her head as she laid her coat across a chair and removed her gloves.

"How'd it go at school with Jordan?" he asked gruffly, and Katie's brow creased when she heard the concern in his voice.

"It was… he's very angry with me, Marcus… we didn't speak, but that doesn't mean we won't. What's the matter?" she asked softly, and Marcus gave a dry bark of laughter.

"Just pissed off that he thought what he did," he said with a shrug, and Katie sighed as she took back the step she had taken and laid her hand on his arm.

"Are you all right?" she asked, and he shrugged once more in answer as he reached for her scarf.

But rather than draw it away from her throat, he slowly wrapped the ends around his hands and then used it to pull her a step closer toward him. Katie lifted her hand in surprise and pressed against his chest to stop the movement; Marcus licked the corner of his lips slowly as he looked down at her before tugging her closer. He flashed a quick grin when Katie ran her hand up across his upper arm, and with a quiet hum of contentment he bent his head and kissed her. A chaste kiss, that was warm breath and the tickle of the stubble on his jaw as he brushed his mouth across hers lightly.

"Much better now," he mumbled against her lips, and Katie smiled as he brushed another chaste kiss over her mouth, followed by another that lingered.

Chaste and maddening, he lightly dragged the pads of his fingers down her arms, and across her hands as he laced their fingers together. Katie huffed out a breath when he continued to kiss her lightly, and rising up onto tiptoe, she wound her arms around his neck and pressed her lips firmly against his. Marcus hummed in approval, and turned them slightly as he began to slowly back his way across the room with Katie following him as she wound her fingers through his hair. Her eyes popped open in surprise when Marcus suddenly pulled away from her, and she watched in startled silence as he lowered himself into an armchair by the fire. A wicked smile crossed his mouth, and when he beckoned her closer, Katie couldn't contain the squeak that left her lips when he tugged her down onto his lap. His soft laughter died away when he stretched up to kiss her again, and Katie curled into him with a soft sigh as Marcus' fingers danced lightly across her hip. All too soon, however, he broke the kiss and settled further into the chair as he rubbed his palm up and down the length of Katie's thigh.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her ear with his nose as he breathed her in.

"What do you want to do?" she asked with a small smile, and Marcus gave a sharp bark of laughter as he pulled back to look at her.

_"What? You want to hear how she makes my blood burn? How I dream about her? How I walk behind her and imagine biting the back of her neck while I fuck her?" _

Katie turned bright red as her eyes darted towards the bed he had slept in the night before. It had yet to be made, and the bedding was tumbled; Marcus snorted knowingly when he saw the look on her face, and she wondered if he had remembered what he had said to her the night he had gotten her drunk.

"I wish," he said finally, showing her that he had indeed remembered. "But no matter how much I want that with you, it isn't something we're doing. What we're doing _here_ is dangerous enough. You add sex to the mix, and I'm looking at a long stint in Azkaban if we get caught."

"What is it we _are_ doing, Marcus?" Katie asked softly. "What is this?

Marcus sighed when he heard what Katie was really asking him. Was she a dirty secret, or was this something more? When he finally spoke, it was quietly as he continued to watch the flickering flames.

"I swore to myself that I'd leave you alone, Katie," he said finally. "But then you asked me to write to you. And instead of being able to distance myself from you and this hold you have over me, I found myself doing as you asked. And we've come to know each other in a whole new way. I know more about you, I think, than any of your friends do. You certainly know more about me than those in my house do. Instead of being a pretty puzzle that I wanted to solve, you became… something more. I received an education at Hogwarts – I believe if there was a NEWT to sit regarding you, I'd receive an O for Outstanding like I did in DADA and Advanced Potions," he said with a small smile, and Katie laughed softly as she curled into him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"So what are you saying?" she asked finally when he seemed content to let the silence linger, and Marcus groaned.

"Stubborn girl… This won't be easy, Katie. During the next year or two when we have to keep it a secret? It won't be easy. We will no doubt fight something awful, and there will be fear and misunderstanding on both sides. And if you think Jordan's reaction to finding out was bad, wait until both of our Houses know…there will be open warfare in the halls. But I won't give you up. I can't. Not now. Not when I know just how you feel when we're like this," he said with a sigh as he dragged his hand down over his face tiredly. "I've waited for a year to have you already, Katie. I can wait one more."

Hope and excitement exploded in her chest, and Katie smiled slightly as Marcus' words told her far more than he had said out loud. Katie glanced down at her hands as she twisted them together, and when Marcus tilted her chin up with his finger, Katie finally spoke.

"And the other wit….?" She broke off and shook her head as Marcus brushed his fingers down across the frantic beat of her pulse.

"There are no _other_. Not anymore," he said finally. "I won't share, Katie, so I don't expect you to. Look, there will no doubt be times where I'm as wound up as anything and I'll probably bite your head off over it. All I can do is apologize in advance. But I won't cheat on you. You won't read about me in the Daily Profit, and wonder if I went home with another witch. I waited too long for this… I'm not about to throw it away on five minutes of peace."

Katie nodded as Marcus shifted her on his lap and stared up at her lazily.

"Besides," he said as he shifted his weight on the chair before he stretched up to kiss her, "fooling around with you will be half the fun."

"So…I'm your… you're my…" Katie probed teasingly as she dodged the warmth of his lips.

Marcus just grinned and pulled her face down towards his. He hummed softly when her lips parted for him, and Katie wound her arms around him as he kissed her slowly. When he finally deepened the kiss and flicked his tongue across her lips, she heard the soft groan he let out as she shifted on his lap. It was only when his kiss turned hungry, that he fisted his hand in her hair and tugged her head back, his lips dropping teasing kisses over her jaw and along the length of her throat as she shifted restlessly. When he pulled back slightly and stared up at her, Katie parted her lips to speak again. Marcus shook his head and pulled her mouth back to his, the kiss deep and blinding from the onset. Lips that were clinging and warm, and his arms holding her tightly against him as he set out to drown them both. The press of his erection against her hip had Katie clutching his shoulders a little harder, and Marcus groaned as he pulled her more firmly across the thick swelling in his pants. Katie squirmed again, causing a moan to bubble up from his throat and echo into her mouth, before Marcus pulled away and gently pushed Katie off his lap and onto her feet.

She swayed there momentarily, and then sighed as he rose to his feet and caught her face in the palms of his hands. Marcus dipped his head to kiss her as he slowly began to back her across the room. He hushed her faint protest when her legs hit the edge of the bed a moment later and she found herself sinking into the softness of the mattress. Katie opened her eyes as Marcus pushed her a little further towards the centre of the bed, and broke away from the danger that kissing him seemed to have over her senses. Her dream from a few days ago played out rapidly in her mind as Marcus gently pressed against her shoulder causing her to slowly sink down onto her back amongst the tumbled bedding; he followed her down, covering her slender frame with his own and pressing her down into a mattress that smelled like he did. Threading his fingers through her hair, Marcus sighed as his lips met hers again, and he sank back into kissing her with a groan.

"All _mine_… _always_ mine…fucking _finally_…"

Katie felt the lingering fear from her dream recede as his mumbled words echoed against her lips and when he made no move to push her any further, she wrapped her arms around him, and let him take her under. Let him kiss her breathless, and shuddered when his teeth left light marks across her throat and shoulders after he'd tugged the neck of her jumper down off her shoulder with a whisper that this jumper had been his favourite of hers since the start of her fourth year. She lost herself in the hints of danger he presented her with. In the forbidden heat he held her with, and the sensual web he wrapped around her. In the knowledge that he couldn't help himself when it came to her, that she was a weakness that he couldn't deny himself. She learned that as he kissed her and lightly rocked his hips against hers, his voice a rough whisper against her skin as he simultaneously cursed her and held her in reverence as his hand slid down her thigh and pulled it up over his hip.

The knock on the door came as a rude intrusion that had Marcus lifting his head with a soft snarl as his eyes flew to the locked door and then back down to Katie. He withdrew from the haven her arms promised, and stretched out to pick his wand up from the bedside table as Katie scramble from the bed with wide eyes. Gesturing towards the chair beside the fire, Marcus moved towards the door as Katie quickly moved to sit where he had pointed too. Looking back towards Marcus as he opened the door slightly, Katie winced when she saw the anger darken Marcus' face. His fingers tightened on the wood of the door, and when he spoke the snarl in his voice was more than obvious, as was the distain and arrogance that Katie had heard back before they had become friends.

"What do you want?"

For a long moment there was silence, but then Katie heard the last voice she had ever expected to hear.

"Is Katie here with you, Flint?"

For a long minute Katie wondered if Marcus would simply slam the door in Lee's face, but then he smirked and pulled the door open a little more. It took Lee a few more seconds but then he walked into the room, and when he caught sight of Katie, his shoulders slumped in resignation and he simply nodded as Marcus shut the door behind him and crossed his arms.


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry for the delay guys. I'm exceptionally busy at the moment with work, and between that and spending much needed time with my family, there isn't much time left to do anything other than sleep! I'm trying to get some more writing done, but I won't promise frequent updates, because I just don't have the time. But thank you for the Pm's checking if I'm OK - I am - just busy. Love to you all.

18.

Lee stared up at the Hog's Head in dismayed silence; this was the only establishment he hadn't checked yet. Katie hadn't been at the Three Broomsticks, nor had she been in any of the other shops. Why she would willingly go into such a filthy establishment was beyond him, and Lee sighed heavily as he worked up the courage to push the outer door open and enter the bar. His fears were unrecognised, however, when he finally did enter the bar; the few patrons who were in there didn't bother looking up from the various drinks they nursed closely to their bowed heads. The only person who did look up was an older man who was standing behind the scarred bar polishing glasses. He raked bored eyes over Lee as he made his way towards the bar, and when Lee swallowed under his silent gaze, the barman simply raised an eyebrow in question as he waited.

"Ummm…I'm looking for a friend of mine," Lee finally stammered out, and the barman set the glass down and leaned across the bar.

"Would your friend happen to be blonde?" he asked, and when Lee nodded, the barman straightened up and shrugged.

"Haven't seen her," he said coolly, causing Lee's mouth to drop in shock.

Soft snickers echoed amongst the patrons of the bar, and Lee straightened his spine as the barman's open amusement brought back his earlier rage.

"How about Marcus Flint?" he asked angrily. "Have you seen _him?_"

The barman grinned then, and picked up another glass.

"Perhaps…why do you ask?" he questioned as his smile faded, and Lee took a step away from the bar when he caught sight of the suspicion on the man's face.

"He… I think my friend is with him," Lee said finally. "And I need to find her."

The man stared at him through cool eyes for several minutes; he finally set down the glass he had been cleaning and nodded once.

"The name's Aberforth," he said finally as he held is hand out. Lee shook Aberforth's hand, and gingerly sat down on the bar stool when Aberforth nodded to it. "Mr Flint has been rumoured to stay here when he's in town. He likes the quietness of this establishment, and the fact that I have no concerns with his wealth or fame. You won't find Rita Skeeter sneaking in here trying to take pictures of him…or _her_," he said softly.

Lee swallowed as Aberforth looked him over again before he sighed.

"Marcus is staying in Room 4, and is due to take his leave at lunch time… if I were you, young man, I'd knock before I tried entering. The last Wizard Rita Skeeta sent to try and obtain an…. _unwanted_ photograph of Marcus is still in St. Mungos having his intestines re-grown."

Lee felt his stomach do one graceful pitch and role, and he nodded in understanding when Aberforth continued to stare at him. Sure that he had made his point, Aberforth went back to cleaning the glasses, and in doing so, dismissed Lee entirely. It still took Lee all of his courage to rise to his feet, and he slowly made his way up the rickety staircase. The hall was dimly lit, and he could barely make out the numbers on the doors. When he found the door with the brass 4 on it, he took a deep breath before knocking all the while wondering if the skin on his knuckles would blister and burn due to the dark curses it seemed that Flint knew if Aberforth's warning was anything to go by. He waited silently for a few minutes, and just as he lifted his hand to knock again, he heard the sound of the door being unlocked and it was jerked opened a few inches. Looking up, Lee met Marcus' eyes and managed to hide the flinch he could feel wanting to round his shoulders when Marcus' eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?"

Lee heard and understood the obvious snarl in the other Wizard's voice; distain and arrogance coloured Marcus' usual drawl, and had shivers skating down Lee's spine even as he straightened it.

"Is Katie here with you, Flint?" he asked.

For a long minute Lee wondered if Marcus would simply slam the door in his face, but then he smirked and pulled the door open a little more affording Lee his first look into the room. It was surprisingly clean – it was almost as if a thorough Scourgify spell had been cast, leaving none of the dirt behind that was so prominent in the bar downstairs. It took Lee a few more seconds but then he walked into the room, and when he caught sight of Katie, his shoulders slumped in resignation and he simply nodded as Marcus shut the door behind him and crossed his arms. Katie was sitting in the chair beside the fire, with her knees pressed together, her spine ramrod straight and her fingers twisting restlessly in her lap – the very picture of innocence. But looking at her, knowing her as well as he did, Lee knew there was no mistaking the fact that she had recently been thoroughly kissed. Her hair was tucked neatly behind her ears, yet it lacked the normal smoothness it usually possessed, and it appeared to have a wave to it where it had no doubt been wrapped around Marcus' fingers. Her lips were redder than usual, and as Lee tracked his eyes over her quickly, he caught sight of the faint reddening of the skin on her throat and just under her left ear, the light imprint of teeth.

Before Lee could even begin to speak, Marcus walked past him and over to where Katie was sitting, giving Lee another shock that unsettled him almost as much as catching them kissing had given him. Rather than sit in the spare chair, or pull Katie out of the one she was sitting in, Marcus sank to the floor at her feet with an easy grace that years of Quidditch and flying afforded him. Lee knew his jaw had dropped as Marcus simply settled with his back resting against the chair and his head against Katie's knees while he stared up at Lee with eyes that glittered in the firelight like obsidian. The silence in the room grew brittle, and when Katie unconsciously reached out so that her fingers were brushing the back of Marcus' neck, Lee felt his anger collapse inwards and he sighed before taking the spare seat in front of the fire. All but collapsing into it, he was unable to stop himself from looking between them. They were as different as night was from day. Darkness and light. Slytherin and Gryffindor. And as Marcus shifted, he glanced over his shoulder at Katie who automatically looked down at him and the answer slapped Lee in the head like a bludger.

"Katie…this…this _thing_ between you….it's been going on since your Mama died…hasn't it?" he managed, drawing their eyes back to him.

While Katie bit her lip and looked back down at her hands, it was Marcus who eventually spoke. He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as he continued to stare at Lee.

"If that knowledge brings you comfort, Jordan, then you go ahead and believe that. Who are we to stop you?"

Lee wheezed out a painful breath as his jaw dropped again, and he stuttered out his confusion.

"What…what do you mean, bring me comfort? None of this is bloody comfortable, Flint! The day of Amelia's funeral… you'd been there between the time we finished the funeral and Katie going back to her Mama's grave… you'd been there and left a Poppy on Amelia's grave…" Lee swallowed hard as his brain began to connect things slowly. "Earlier then… you… Katie was found in Green House Four… she'd been found wrapped in a Slytherin cloak… _your_ cloak."

Katie looked up then and swallowed as she met Lee's disbelieving eyes. And when she shook her head, Lee closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Earlier?" he managed when he finally looked at Katie again, and she bit her lip but then nodded as Lee slumped down his chair. "How in Merlin's name did this happen?" he asked finally. "How in Hades did we miss it? How'd he get past us to get to you, Katie, because let's face it, we're pretty damn protective of you."

"We… Marcus and I…" Katie broke off and blew out a deep breath. "Marcus listened to me," she murmured finally. "He listened, and he didn't judge. He helped me forget how much it hurt, and forced me to keep walking. To face up to that hurt, to realise why I was so scared."

"After your Mama died?" Lee asked, and Katie shook her head as Marcus looked back up at her.

"No," she said finally after glancing down at Marcus. "After I fell and was hurt so badly."

"Katie… that was two years ago," Lee breathed, and Katie laughed softly.

"Yes, I know. You wanted to know when, Lee," she continued, looking at him imploringly. "That's when. That's how. That's why. And as for Marcus got past you as you put it, he failed his seventh year because of his time in the medi-wing and he returned to Hogwarts. Then Mama died, and he found me. And once more, he listened. He didn't judge. He didn't expect me to talk about how I was feeling. However, when I did eventually want to talk about it, he was the only one I felt I could go to who would understand why I was angry rather than sad. Why I wanted nothing more than to curse the world, and cry at the unfairness of it all. Marcus listened to me, Lee, and his silence bought me far more comfort than any heartfelt speech could have."

Katie shrugged again, and looked down at her hands.

"That's when we became friends," she said quietly, and brushed impatiently at her hair when it slid down across her cheek. "Nothing happened," she continued briskly. "Not until the last day of school when we kissed in the library. I'd had feelings for him all that time, Lee. And when we kissed, I knew he felt the same way. It wasn't some elaborate prank. It wasn't a plan to ruin our Quidditch season. No… Marcus fought this the entire time he was at school. And then he attended the Yule Ball. You know the rest."

"The rest!" Lee exploded. "I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that you think he's your friend, Katie! _I'm_ your friend! I know you better than anyone! This…this _thing_ between you is… is gratitude from when he caught you, surely you know that!"

Katie flinched, and Marcus hushed her softly with nothing more than a brush of his knuckles against her knee as he frowned at Lee.

"You think you know her do you?" he asked, and Lee snorted.

"I know her better than you do, Flint!" he cried, and then flinched when he heard how childish that statement was, even to his own ears.

Marcus rolled his eyes and rose gracefully to his feet. Crossing the room, he opened a bottle of Ogden's Cognac and poured a small pool of the amber liquid into a glass; he tilted it at Lee with a snort before downing the content of the glass with a single swallow, while Lee continued to watch him warily.

"You know Katie as the girl you grew up with," he said finally as he poured another measure into his glass. Setting the stopper back into the bottle, he picked his glass up and slowly swirled the cognac, setting the amber liquid aflame with red lights as it swirled the glass. "The girl you attended school with. The girl you watched sorted into Gryffindor. Your _mate_," he said dryly. "I've never seen Katie the way you do. I never will. I never saw her as A-sexual, Jordan, the way you and the rest of your Gryffindor comrades do."

"Then how _do_ you see her?" Lee spat, and Marcus chuckled softly.

"At first, I only ever saw her as a Chaser from the opposition. Hell fire on a broom. All pointy elbows and snark and runs," he said with a quick grin at Katie, who smiled when she recalled Marcus telling her the same thing one night by the lake. But then the humour fled his face and his voice darkened slightly. "But then we fell. And I began to see Katie in a whole new light. How could I not? We spent so many weeks together in the infirmary, Jordan, that I knew she was a young woman before I even left," he said softly. "I saw the stubborn strength it took for her to stand on her own two feet after shattering her knee. I saw how she fought the need to vomit up her lunch as she endured physiotherapy every day to regain the movement in her shoulder and knee. I saw her determination to hide how scared she was from Oliver bloody Wood, when the stupid prat would come and sit by her side and tell her that all she needed was to get back up in the air. I could see her fear, Jordan. It was stamped across her face as clear as day. But you never saw it. None of you did. Katie fell, and you all stopped seeing her. Maybe she was better at hiding it from you lot, but from me? I saw what staring into death's eyes did to Katie. It changed her. It moulded her. And while you weren't looking, Katie grew up into the young woman I see today."

Marcus jerked a shoulder and then drained his glass as Lee stared at him. Setting the empty glass back down beside the bottle, Marcus leaned against the table and crossed his arms.

"And how do you see her now?" Lee asked finally, and Marcus smiled. It was a dangerous smile, and Lee shifted uncomfortably on his seat as Marcus let his gaze slide to Katie where it lingered.

"She's the young woman who will one day become my lover," he said finally and when Lee blanched, Marcus smirked slightly. "Did that just scorch your sensibilities, Jordan?" he asked. "Knowing that someone, an ex Slytherin to be precise, finds Katie sexually attractive? Hmm? You might have the knowledge to be able say that you know her past, Jordan, but do not make the mistake of saying that I don't know her. I know Katie better than you ever will."

A heavy silence settled over the room as the two wizards stared at each other

"So you have a choice here," Marcus said finally. "Either you accept that her future belongs with me, that this is what Katie wants. That she isn't under some stupid lust spell, which is the argument I can see brewing behind your eyes. Or…"

"Or what?" Lee interrupted as he rose to his feet in anger.

"Or I can Obliviate you as you leave the room, so that you don't pose a risk to Katie and her safety while she is still at school," Marcus said calmly.

He simply raised an eyebrow when Lee's jaw dropped in shock, and he tilted his head with a soft sigh as Lee slowly sank back down into the chair as he stared up at Marcus in muted silence.

"You…you'd do that to me…?" Lee croaked, and when the corner of Marcus' mouth curved slightly, Lee wheezed out a painfully deep breath.

"Marcus… shut up."

Marcus grinned when Katie's soft voice split the silence, and Lee turned wounded eyes towards her as Marcus chuckled softly. A slow smirk of satisfaction crossed his face as she lifted her chin, and he winked at her.

"There's my hell cat… you going to sharpen your claws now?" he asked with a purr of satisfaction.

Lee looked between them in confusion, but Katie recalled the conversation she had once had with Marcus regarding her bravery and her spirit in the library, and she shot him a withering look that had him dropping his eyes to hide to obvious mirth that he felt. Glancing back at Lee, Katie shook her head when he continued to look at her with a wounded look on his face.

"You too," she said when it looked like he was about to speak, and she crossed her arms as the beginnings of real anger turned her eyes a darker shade of blue.

"I'll say this once and once only," she began, and when she had both wizards' attention, she spoke again. "I'm not a child. So stop treating me like I need saving," she said to Lee. Her eyes slid to Marcus, who raised an eyebrow as his amusement clearly danced in his eyes. "I have a father. I don't need you to speak up for me," she said softly to him, and he tilted his head with a grin and gestured for her to continue. Looking at Lee again, Katie took a deep breath and began to speak.

"We have known each other for a long time, Lee. For most of our lives. So when I tell you that I came into this with my eyes wide open, you'd better believe me. I'm not under some sort of spell. I don't have a lingering concussion from when I fell two years ago. For me, this started out as a question of why. Why did he save me? Why did he treat me like his decision to catch me was _my_ fault? Why did he keep watching me….why did I feel like a puzzle that he needed to solve?"

Katie shook her head and looked towards the fire as Lee continued to stare at her.

"I know you remember having that conversation with me," she said a minute later. "But what I never voiced was why couldn't _I_ stop watching _him?_ Why did I want to sit down in a stack in the library, and close my eyes while listening to him speak? Why did the tone of his voice make me feel warm? Why did seeing him in the halls bring not fear, but a different type of feeling? I couldn't wait to see him gone from Hogwarts, because when he left surely I'd go back to normal, because there was no way that how I _was_ feeling was normal for a Gryffindor. But then the Ministry refused to take into account Marcus' fall and his subsequent failure to take two of his NEWTS. They made him re-take the two classes he'd failed. They made him return to Hogwarts. And the life I knew ended."

Looking up at Marcus, Katie smiled slightly and shrugged.

"If Marcus hadn't returned, I would have gotten over a school girl's crush. But he did return, Lee. And I found him as fascinating as ever. As confusing as ever. It got to the point that the only time I didn't see him watching me was when we were in our respective classes. But out of them? I'd look up and see him dissecting me with his eyes. And if what happened next hadn't occurred, we might not be here today. But it did."

Lee tilted his head slightly, and then nodded slowly.

"Your Mama died," he said softly and Katie nodded as a look she couldn't decipher washed over Lee's face.

"That's right. Mama was hurt, and I couldn't handle the not knowing _why_. I went outside to ask the Gods. It was raining that night, and bitterly cold, do you remember, Marcus?"

Marcus hummed softly under his breath in answer, and Katie looked back towards the fire silently as she thought back over that night.

"He found me on the pitch," she said finally. "And for a single moment, I found my anger and we traded off as we were supposed to. But for whatever reason, Lee, Marcus has always been able to see straight through me, and he knew something was wrong. He didn't push, when I wasn't able to voice it. Because I knew if I said it out loud, it made it real. But he took me out of the rain, and he sat with me in silence. And when I cried…." Katie broke off and shook her head as she looked towards Marcus again who sighed and shook his head.

"What's the point in this, Katie? You know as well as I do that he's not going to walk out of here and keep his mouth shut about us."

Katie pressed her lips together as Marcus crossed his arms and blew out a harsh breath. But when she turned her eyes towards Lee, she felt her heart break a little when she saw the look on his face.

"How can you ask me to keep quiet about this," Lee asked with barely suppressed fury, "when it is more than obvious, Flint, that you took advantage of Katie when she was in a vulnerable state? You deserve to be thrown into Azkaban, and locked away for the rest of your life!" he shouted as he rose to his feet. "And I promise you, that I'll do everything I can to make that happen!"

In the silence that followed, you could have heard a pin drop. It was broken when Marcus sighed and he shook his head as he looked at Katie.

"Now you know why I said we shouldn't do this," he said softly. "I'm better off Obliviating him, Katie, because in all his righteous Gryffindorness, all he can think about is proving you and I wrong, and proving how _right_ he is. You couldn't _possibly_ have real feelings, because in his eyes, you are still a child," Marcus said quietly as he looked towards Katie. "And in his kamikaze way, he isn't thinking about what will happen when he returns to school and tells everyone that the vile Slytherin took advantage of you. He's correct in his thinking that I'll be dragged from your life and sentenced to a stretch in Azkaban. In his eyes, that will happen, and then this spell I must have you under will end and you'll return to being pretty, untouchable Katie Bell. But what he _isn't_ thinking about in all of his righteousness is the fact that you'll be dragged before the Wizengamot, and subjected to a full medical by them because they won't take your word that we haven't been intimate. Then _everyone_ will know. All of Gryffindor and all of Slytherin will know that we crossed those invisible House lines. But that's ok. I'll be in Azkaban where I belong… and you'll be _safe in school_ with your fellow Gryffindor's. On your own. Without the protection of having my name attached to yours to keep you safe from those in _my_ House."

Lee blanched, and when his face lost all colour as he sank back into his seat, Marcus smirked slightly as he turned hard eyes towards the other boy.

"So do your worst, Jordan," he said coldly. "But keep in mind that when the Wizengamot realise that Katie is still as pure as the day she was born, I _will_ be released from Azkaban and there will be no where on earth that you can hide from me."

Lee gaped at him in shock for a minute and then shook his head in disbelief.

"But…but…"

"I believe in killing the messenger, Jordan," Marcus said coolly, "and that is what you would be. The messenger. The one who carries the tale to those who you believe need to know."

"Why?" Lee managed, and Marcus smirked.

"You want to know why I believe in killing the messenger? It sends a message. The message that I won't sit back and let anyone come between Katie and I. Now get out, before I decide that Obliviating you is _exactly_ what we need to do."

Lee rose to his feet and when he glanced at Katie, he faulted. The look on her face was one of pure misery, and he swallowed hard as she lifted her eyes and met his gaze; her eyes were as open and readable as he'd ever known them to be, but as he watched her, as he went to hold his hand out to her, those eyes he knew so well slowly shuttered over. Her pain hidden, she locked her arms around herself and looked away from him. Lee's shoulders slumped when Katie tilted her chin and her hair slid down across her cheek, hiding her face from view. Glancing slowly towards Marcus, he faulted when he saw the wand that was gripped casually in Marcus' hand, belying the anger that was so clearly written across his face. Having been threatened at wand point by him already, Lee looked helplessly towards Katie and then left the room without another word. Trudging slowly through the snow on his way back to the castle, Lee began to wonder if somehow he was wrong….but how could he be?

Marcus Flint was a Slytherin…a very slytheriny Slytherin. Lee knew enough about him to know that he wasn't above using sly fear tactics on the pitch during Quidditch… The thought stopped him in his tracks, and caused his eyes to close as he wheezed in a painful breath. From the darkest corner of his mind, a memory rose up unwillingly. Of a rain soaked game of Quidditch, that had been interrupted when the Dementor's had begun to swoop over the pitch. He had watched in growing horror as the players from both Gryffindor and Slytherin had all suddenly angled their brooms into breakneck dives as Harry Potter fell through the gloomy clouds. And as the memory played out in his mind much like a pensive memory would have, Lee remembered seeing the slim form of a Gryffindor player being tackled to the ground by the much larger form of Slytherin's captain. Of that slim body being covered…protected… before being dragged up from the ground and into a dead run towards the protection the Professors offered as the Dementor's followed them. Lee was left standing in the falling snow, with his breath escaping him in ragged gasps. There was no way Lee was wrong about Marcus Flint….was there?


End file.
